The highlight of my day today was going for a walk with Hannah and Honey the Dog around Arthur’s Seat! Hannah sent me a message this morning saying she was going for a walk on Arthur’s Seat and did I want to join her.
The last time I saw Hannah was for Honey’s Birthday (Day 61). Hannah is the person I wrote all the Birthday Messages for on Day 71.
Was great to have a couple of hours out walking and spending some time with a friend.
Hannah is the first friend I have spent over an hour with – in the real world in 12 days! I chatted to Kate for about 20 minutes yesterday, but that is it. Anyone else I have spent time with since the BarBQ (Day 76) – in the real world – has been people who run shops or the occasional person I have bumped into on our daily walk/run.
In lock-down I am really valuing friendships so much more. In the virtual world, just having some kind of contact and in the real world, having real human connection.
I find when I have contact with people in the real world, I connect more with myself.
We had about 2 hours of warm sunshine today, before the haar returned and we were back in cloud!
Hannah, Honey and I walked to the top of Arthur’s Seat, which is always a good climb. Then we followed Honey for a chunk of the walk, exploring areas I haven’t been to before. The visibility was pretty minimal, so not sure if I would be able to go back to where we went!
Something very disorienting with little visibility. I realised, that I use the surrounding landmarks to know where I am on Arthur’s Seat, but without them, I felt lost.
Kind with life too. I find when I am connected to myself, my body and my feelings, I am able to make decisions easily and ‘know’ what to do – I know what feels right for me. When that disappears, it’s like my visibility, my compass on life vanishes and I am totally unsure what to do and find myself asking lots of people for their advice.
I’ve learnt over the years, that when I find myself asking lots of people for their advice, that I am less connected to myself and need to find ways to connect more inwardly. Whether that is through meditation, a massage, a run, the cinema, whatever. Something, that allows me to connect to myself.
I have found in lock-down that at times I am lost in that metaphorical haar – that mist – that fog. It is all so disorientating and my ‘visibility’ disappears.
Check out the video I made at the top of Arthur’s Seat! You can usually see for miles and miles into the distance!
Plus the photos below that. You can click on the photos to see them full size.
Poetry Corner
With no poetry from any other readers, you have another from me, which I wrote during my mental health nurse training!
This poem was written during a 3 hour tutorial about Trust. The lecturer had a very dull voice and within minutes I would be struggling to stay awake. The tutorial began, by the lecturer, asking us, what we thought “Trust” meant. We discussed it for about 10 minutes. Then he just started talking about Trust and his experiences as a nurse, etc…
He spoke for about 2 hours non-stop about Trust, until he finally decided to let us leave early.
This poem was written in a desperate attempt to remain sane from the boredom of the tutorial.
TRUST
Trust, Trust, Trust, Trust,
Patient-Nurse should they trust?
We need to consider these many issues,
If we are going to be, a trusting nurse.
Yet the starting blog is more obscure,
The tutor, he helps us understand the word.
Yet do we trust HIM for what he says,
He could be guiding us off the course.
Trust, Trust, Trust, Trust,
Tutor-Student should they trust?
We need to consider these many issues,
But when it comes down to it – Who Bloody Cares!!!
Readers Corner
Graham
Graham included a blog comment on my blog two days ago (Day 86), the first day of Poetry Corner. He said:
“Lovely to read. Really liked the poem. It is boiling over here on the west coast. I could quite like being cool and still in a haar just now.”
Thanks Graham, glad you enjoyed the poem. I’ve heard it is hot on the west coast. Yes, there is a lot of haar in Edinburgh at the moment. There’s about 1-2 hours of sunshine, before it arrives again 🙁
It Made Me Smile
Helen
Thanks to Helen who sent me this, she said:
“This is for the “made me smile” section of your blog”
Thanks Helen, I love it!
Twenty-Five Day Push-Up Challenge
Day 2 of the challenge was done at the top of Arthur’s Seat!
Hannah filmed it and a random guy who saw me doing it, started a Facebook Live to his friends in Algeria! There were two people watching on Facebook Live!
I struggled all the way through, but later learnt that it was my technique that was all wrong 😉
So Hannah and the random guy then also did 25 push-ups just to show me how it should be done!
Hannah does over 100 push-ups everyday! She told told me that a good way to do them is in sets, with so many reps per set. So I may try 2.5 sets tomorrow – 10 reps per set!
I’m also please to see that Henry has taken up the challenge, from yesterday’s nomination!
Comments then came flooding in from my video posting on Facebook.
Lisa
“Wow, now that’s a place to do a push up!”
Jess
“Jim, your arse it too high in the air!😂😂😂 good effort though. I can’t do them.”
I commented to Jess saying “cheers – I’ll try that tomorrow !”.
She then replied:
“core muscle”
Fi
“yes, your body should be in a straight line, like a plank 😉”
Kate
“Well done jim. I just tried and could only do 6 and that was with my knees down 😂 The guy makes it look so easy 
here 💪”
Thanks to you all for your advice and encouragement 🙂
As I come to the end of today’s blog, it is late – 2am! Honey the Dog has been pestering to go to bed since 10pm!
I have spent the evening helping to organise the charity event that is happening tomorrow on Zoom. To raise money for the Gatliff Trust. This is just for a group of friends, who we have met over the years travelling round the Western Isles in July.
Everyone has put in so much effort! We have a raffle, quizzes, interviews, live music, interviews, stories, photos, videos, sing-a-longs and a whole host of other things! Cannae wait.
I will bid you farewell, as I need to head towards bed.
Good Night
Jim xxx