Two quotes on Saturday

Writing is a struggle against silence. Carlos Fuentes

The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe. Gustave Flaubert

Everytime I post on my WordPress blogs there is a piece on the lefthand side of the page offering a quote in addition to other statistical information and the tags I have used and some extra tag suggestions.

These two quotes stood out for me this week. The first quote spoke to me because I find my blogging fills a gap left by the community education in which I used to work. My blog offers me a voice that I previously used in that work but which now has the potential to reach many more people on a global scale, rather than in my local community.

The second quote reinforces why writing blog posts helps me on a more personal and internal journey as I search for and unearth what I believe.

Is your writing a struggle against silence?

Does writing help you discover what you believe?

I’d be interested in knowing.

P.S. The photo is a sand dune on Farewell Spit, New Zealand

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A chat in the sunshine

I’ve just enjoyed a chat in the sunshine with two of our neighbours.  We shared stories of our health and wellbeing, our pets and a few happenings from the neighbourhood.  We laugh together, commiserate over the tough bits of life and encourage each other to keep on smiling and enjoying life.  They are a vital part of my support network and we know we can rely on each other in times of crisis.  It is good to have a sense of an immediate local community.

If it is Tuesday it must be singing

I belong to a local singing group.  We meet for 8 weeks every school term and there are four of those.  We meet from 7.30 until 8.45pm on a Tuesday night.  The only requirement for joining this group is that you like to sing.  No auditions, no ability to read music, just a desire to sing with others.  So for a nominal fee, around $6 per session I get to sing a range of  music with a great group of people, led by a talented and funny guy.

The age range in the group is from 12 to possibly 80 years of age.  Our musical leader has the group divided into those who like to sing high, or low and then the rest of us are middles.  Keep it simple and it works brilliantly.   He adds in “keep it friendly” and every session we have a couple of short breaks from singing to say hello and catch up with the people sitting near by.

Twice each term we sing while enjoying supper together.  We also get to sing out in public.  The group sings once at year at the Wellington Railway Station for the evening commuters.  This term we are scheduled to sing at the Wellington Airport for those flying at dinner time.  Other singing get-togethers in various locations and for various reasons are also arranged.

Do we sound good?  Yes, a lot of the time.  Do we make mistakes?  Yes, especially when a song is new but also when we have practiced and practiced.  Do we laugh a lot?  Oh yes!!!

Most people in the group would say that singing each week is the highlight of their working week.  For 75 minutes on a Tuesday night all the stresses, troubles and cares in our lives evaporate and we leave feeling relaxed and much better prepared to face the world.

It is a very simple formula and it works a treat.

A moment of joy and connection

A vast community of people, many of them strangers to each other and to the expectant parents, joined together in a moment of joy and delight as my new grandchild was born on 9th April 2009.