Monday 10 December 2012

Salt of the Earth

Just some really excellent salt.

Educating Rita

Another BBC radio gem.
This time listened to in the middle of the night as I was too cold to fall asleep...

I found Educating Rita inspiring.
The tale of a married 20-something hairdresser who was determined to study and understand English litirature in opposition to her husband's wishing of settling down and starting a family. I think I could identify, to some extent, with the feelings of disatisfaction and longing to excell at something. Although I am in no position to complain about my educational opportunities. I think it's probably true of a fair number of people...wanting what you can't have or longing to be good at something you have neglected in the past? I often muse on my choices about further education and whether or not I am doing the right thing. I think I was talking to someone about this the other day...but I wonder sometimes where you should leave dreams behind and accept reality. When does it becoming 'giving up' or 'not trying' as opposed to just being realistic and sensible?
Anyway...that's drifted a little bit from really what I thought I was going to talk about, which is reading and literature and passion.

I love reading, but I really wish I knew more about 'litrature'. I acutally quite miss the discussions we used to have in English classes at school about what the writer really meant, and discovering the depth of some of the passages in novels. It's so much more rewarding to discuss with someone else than simply read on your own.

I want to read more peotry. But I'm too lazy to get around to doing it.

Mayb one day I'll join one of those book groups where you do that.
We attempted one a few year ago but it dissolved pretty rapidly into just drinking wine...

Forest Bathing

On Saturday mornig I indulged in some warm and wonderful Radio 4 listening.

I was delighted to stumble upon a feaure called "The Secret Power of Trees". (Perhaps you can also enjoy this programme at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01p7fgv/The_Secret_Power_of_Trees/It was a fascinating programme about how we interact with forests and how they might impact our health....

I like really liked the idea of Japanese Forest Bathing, or 'Shinrinyoku' as it is known in Japanese. Apparently an age old practice of strolling through the woodland... Sound prety idyllic and has been shown scientifically to improve not only psychological but physical well-being. Boosting the immune system! It was also shown that exercising in a forested environment, as opposed to an urban one, lowers your blood pressure and other physiological parameters further. That's pretty neat, if you ask me.
 (Some of the scientific evidence to back up a good walk in the trees being good for you... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793346/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793341/)
The Aude valley with Rosa; August 2011
 

I was also really intrested in the social and cultural aspect of this programme.
It explored our relationship with forests and woodland. In Great Britain, we have quite an affectionate view of forests, perhaps related to classic childhood novels such as Winneh the Pooh's 100 Acre Wood. Other countries, such a Germany, have more sinister tales of woodland, with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm associating forests with witches and wolves, danger and secrets.

Tentsmuir forest with Imogen; March 2010
 
Finally, I just want to reflect on trees and why humans seem to develope the relationships they do with them; because I doubt I am alone in holding them in great esteem.
They are pretty amazing organisms. Some of the largest living things on earth, but so non-threatening. There great age seems to instill them with a sense of wisdom and understanding. And their great height with some sort of property of reaching into the heavens and being above the trivialities of human exsistance.  All these things make it even more sad when woodland and forests are destroyed...

Lake District; October 2010