June Letter from the Editor

Dear readers
 
Well, I gave everyone deadlines and on the night of the deadlines, did I know what I was actually going to write? No.
 
I sat at my desk reading over what I had written, and I just wasn’t happy. It wasn’t flowing the way I wanted it to. So, off to the shower. I don’t know about anyone else but a shower always makes things seem clearer to me. I remember things and get some good ideas whenever I’m around the sound of water. Hmmm, a trip to the seaside due I think. (Socially distanced of course.)
 
I knew why the words weren’t manifesting – I was trying too hard. I needed to speak with my voice. Find my courage; blogs are personal accounts after all. Time to reflect. So, forget about worrying how my words are received. This is my voice and a platform I’ve chosen.
 
I wanted to make this first issue of our collaborative blog about change because that is the key issue at the moment; aside from the overused word ‘unprecedented’. So what has changed? What hasn’t changed? What should change? What should not? Discussions, decisions and some divisions. Or no decisions, or surprise surprise, changed ones!
 
As I write this, it is the anniversary of Grenfell. Imagine the changes those residents have had to go through? The news just seems so heavy at the moment and social media is flooded: COVID 19, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, protests, speeches and so on. To be honest just trying to make sense of the government updates can give you whiplash.
 
Change can involve growth and in some cases I think many of us would like to stay at the ‘height’ we are, thank you very much. It’s ok if we’ve been given notice and had a chance to prepare for it but sudden change? Change you never saw coming – well that can hold you in a state of shock for a while! Stuck is an understatement. It could make Dorothy’s Tin Man look like he had mastered the electric wave. Please pass the WD 40, I want to move on!
 
I don’t know about anyone else but with this lockdown, I had all of these grand ideas about what I was going to do because I couldn’t go out (shielding, yes one of the shielded – sounds like a Marvel TV series!). You know what I’m talking about. All those things you would do if you had more time: complete a tapestry, write a book (or at least read one), learn a new language, practise on your musical instruments, extensive DIY. I’ve done none of that and I’m past the guilt stage too now! Hurray! Actually I have read a couple of books, so give myself some credit.
 
I did binge Netflix (has to be done, right?), take up Pop Pilates (awesome), do exercise and movement classes online and scroll through social media to my heart’s content. Even that got heavy though. At one stage, all I wanted to see was the latest gym outfit my friend had purchased and what another friend was planning to watch from YouTube that evening! Oh, that’s such a cute photo of your cat – thanks for sharing!
 
I don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow yet. Some exercise will be involved no doubt. Hopefully not too much video conferencing – I’m all Zoomed out! But however my day goes I will be thankful I woke up, got downstairs and made something to eat. And, I will be excited about sharing this collaborative blog with you all. Thanks to all who made it possible. I can’t wait to see where it takes us!
 
Sharing is caring.
 
In gratitude
Sarah