The Purpose of Delight

Litter picking for peace

On New Year’s day my Dad kindly agreed to have Bobby for the morning. The route to my Dad’s house takes you through a charming alley, lined with hawthorn bushes, ivy and in the summer I am delighted by a large honeysuckle bush. It’s a joy for the senses.

Apart from the fact that it is strewn with litter. Empty cans and bottle of alcohol, vape pens and sweet wrappers decorate the natural scene with gaudy and eye catching mess. I hate it.

Some days I walk by and complain in my mind about it. Today I felt like doing something. So, once I had dropped off my son at my Dad’s house I bought a pair of rubber gloves and got a plastic bag. On the walk back to my house I filled the whole bag with rubbish.

I don’t drink alcohol, smoke or eat sweets anymore. As I pick up all the pieces I am reminded of my state of my mind when I used to consume all those things. It definitely wasn’t a loving or happy state of mind. In fact it was hateful, to myself and to others. Could I, by picking up this litter with love, transmute a little hate? It felt like I did.

When I got home, I got prepared to take a yoga class with Carolyn Cowan. I was excited to take her 2 hour class, which promised to include breathwork and kundalini (my favourite style of yoga). The class was intense and the challenging postures, gave me courage.

At one point, we put ourselves in table top pose and she asked us to visualise the table, as an altar. What were we going to place on the altar of 2024?

Here is my altar in progress:

All the people holding hands represents community, which is the corner stone of my work. It’s where I give and receive so much! Let’s raise a toast to community.

The two hands holding the heart represent service. One hand gives service by caring for self, and the other hand for others. You need to get your car serviced so it performs well. I care for myself so I can care for others. What does caring for others look like? I’m not sure. It could be picking litter, it could be leading my singing group and bringing joy to mothers, it could be scrubbing my toilet and hoovering my floor to provide a clean home for my family. Let’s raise a toast to service.

The beginners mind in the book, is a reminder to read. Reading gives me peace and good ideas. It’s also a reminder to have a beginners mind. Through our lives we develop ways of thinking , which can stop our ability to think clearly. Same with clear vision. After I returned to my home after months of travelling in 2015, it looked so alive and beautiful. My village looked so quaint and pretty. In our day to day lives we can fail to notice the subtle (or not so subtle) beauty around us. The colour of the sky, the light, the trees, our skin. Let’s raise a toast to beginners mind and clear vision.

The finger pointing at the moon symbolises sharing the wisdom I learn. There’s an old buddhist saying, that you shouldn’t mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the actual moon. Don’t get too caught on the teacher or the method, focus on the moon. Through my writing I like to draw others attention to the moon. Let’s raise a toast to the moon.

And finally that gangly character on the right, that’s me. I’ve got two big ears, because I’m listening. I’m listening to my heart. And I’m very happy that I’m tall and gangly and a bit strange. Let’s raise a toast to being our strange selves.

What is on your altar for 2024?

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The Entertainer’s Wave / The Child’s Smile

In the lead up to Christmas we went for lunch in town. There was a large and jolly man, dressed as Santa. He rang his bell then waved at my son. I saw Bobby’s face, brimming with delight. It reminded me of my years as a hula hoop entertainer and how the smiles of children would make my day. Even though, back when I was professionally dancing in London I wasn’t the happiest of chaps, when I put on the show it came back to me.

Here’s me at my most delightful…
October 2019 entertaining at Greenwich Maritime Museum (pre pandemic, pre baby)

May 2024 be full of delight, for me and for you
May my love shine as an entertainer
Wishing you a wonderful year
LOVE ALWAYS WINS

Laura
XOXOXOX

ps. My album is out at the end of Feb HOORAY! In the count down you will hear a new song every week, starting next week :-)

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