Weeknote 30/2024
What's Now > What's Next
Hello!
After the previous fortnight (weeknote 28, weeknote 29), spending a little time decompressing at home and enjoying less structure in our days was essential. As we had spent many hours walking and talking there were a few ideas around our home and work life to consider, investigate and develop. The weather helped us out too as we adjusted back from never-ending continental or cooked breakfasts:
I also managed to catch up with Mark, who kindly travelled to Stonehaven so we could have a meal at The Ship Inn. It has been five years since I’d last been here for food and the pork in mustard cream sauce was delicious! It was lovely to spend the evening talking with Mark about family, work and the decisions we make related to these but he did bring up a question which has been nagging at me since: “So, what is it exactly that you want to do next?”
I didn’t have an answer and, over the days that followed, despite some thought being put into it on dog walks and solitary gardening, I am still not sure. More than that actually, I don’t think I have the slightest idea. It’s maybe because at the moment I know exactly what I am doing now as well as why I’m doing it, and projecting what-ifs and maybes into the future is not required. Maybe, but Mark was right, it’s an unusual situation for me to not be working towards the next step. This isn’t the weeknote to take a deeper dive into this, but I’m signposting this question for future reflection, as boring as the answer might be.
What I do know is that my absolutely favourite place to visit, on my own or with family, is Skatie Shore. My partner and I took the dog for a scramble along the beach and up onto the outcrop. The weather was squally and we were caught in a brief heavy downpour but it quickly cleared and two seals played in the calm waters while I repeatedly (and incorrectly) pointed out large birds convinced they were further seals.
I visited the library on my return from Dorset and collected a few new books including The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson. It was a quick but enjoyable read and linked nicely with my plans to clear out the garage, some books I’ve managed to gather more than one copy of or will never read again, teaching resources (my Google Drive is getting perilously close to full) and the paper of life admin that grows unchecked in a drawer.
I might have mentioned this before (if so, apologies) but it’s incredibly hard to know exactly where to sell things now. Social media has allowed more local groups to emerge, but they tend to overlap each other. Gumtree was just full of scammers the last time I looked. Advertising in supermarkets or newspapers is, unfortunately, last century. So wherever you advertise, you get hits and you get misses. I am making progress though. Margareta was correct when she wrote:
Do not ever imagine that anyone will wish—or be able—to schedule time off to take care of what you didn’t bother to take care of yourself. No matter how much they love you, don’t leave this burden to them.
That is motivation enough to sort things through and dispose of, pass on or sell items which have little importance to me and even less to those I love. I am incredibly lucky to have time in the summer when I am not teaching to be able to organise and sift the items I have gathered. I also really liked the idea of having a “throw out” box which contains items I considered important and want to keep while I’m alive, but will make no real sense to others. So, as I tidy, I am filling a shoe box which I will later revisit and thin out further.
Considering the injuries I gathered from the simple act of walking, you would be forgiven for saying “uh oh” when I decided that weekly games of pickleball were a good idea. However, it has been great to spend time each week building up stamina and challenging my son to friendly matches. My son spotted adapted outdoor courts in Weymouth and reminded me that we used to enjoy playing the sport. He was right, and I still do! I rely on strategy rather than power but it has been great to watch him alter his game as he catches on to my tricks. I know that there might only be a few more years of this before he leaves home, so I am grabbing each opportunity when it comes.
As we have been keeping close to home and staying as thrifty as possible until payday, we have been enjoying TV shows including the last few episodes of The Boys S04 (fantastic season), Cobra Kai S06 part one (a little strange this one, but looking forward to seeing where it leads in November). My partner discovered Charmed (Amazon Prime) after Shannen Doherty’s death was recently announced. It’s absolute nonsense with very loose storylines and incredibly fragile baddies. Perhaps that is why it is so endearing. Yes, I’ve been drawn into watching it too.
We have also been spending time on DIY and home improvement. The weather improved even further so most days have been spent in the garden and we even managed to convince my son to paint the fence. He did a great job!
This has been a great week for recovery and improvement - both for me and for the house! I’m now looking forward, with much more energy, to reengaging with the world, meeting up with friends and family and hearing all their news. While I might not know the answer to “what’s next” I’ve been reminded to appreciate the value of unstructured time. It’s essential for both my physical and mental recovery. This week has been a timely reminder that sometimes the most productive thing to do is to pause, reflect and realign ourselves with what makes us happy and what truly matters.
Thank you once again for reading these rambling thoughts and I hope that, wherever you are, you find happiness in the present moment.
Have a great week!