Reflecting on the Good things of the last year

Its holiday time again, and it also a new year and a good time to reflect on all the things that have happened over the last year. For many of us in Christchurch, it's easiest to remember the earthquake (and for me to remember having a car accident and breaking a few ribs about a month later) and to forget that a lot happened last year. It is for this reason that I keep a note in my diary of what happens each day and what I get up to.

I started doing this because I found it was too easy to get to the end of a week and wonder what I"d actually filled it with. I also found that I would somehow forget the enjoyment I'd had as part of my 'everyday' life. About half way through last year I also did an a community education course called the Science of Happiness and from that time on I've pretty much kept as part of that diary, a note about the things I am grateful for - good things both big and small that happen to me on a daily basis. Again it has taught me how easy it is to take these good things for granted. Keeping a note of them at the end of each day keeps them more at the front of my mind.

So as well has having an earthquake and a car accident (as a result of which I discovered what a lovely supportive group of people I know), going back through my diary has helped me remember that I've set up a new business, I had some wonderful work experiences of which the best was probably at Easter handing out questionnaires to people in Deep Cove, a magical place in Southwestland (New Zealand). I met some great people (too many to list here) and have developed some new friendships, and started a community newsletter which I think people do appreciate and which has certainly helped me get a handle on what happens in my own community. I am grateful for the people that I meet and work with in various ways and grateful that I"m able to contribute into a range of activities and spaces and to the lives of others and that they do the same for me. One of the most wonderful things that happened for example was a group of people turning up one Saturday morning and helping me recover an area of my garden that was lost under weeds.

So while there have been some things about the last year that made it challenging, quite a lot of good stuff has actually happened too and its fantastic to be able to reflect on that.

Community Gardening

I recently started working at a community garden in Christchurch - the Strickland Street or Spreydon Garden. It is an interesting place and I"m meeting some very interesting people with an interest in green issues in a very practical grass roots sort of way.

The garden has a spectacular composting system and takes in kitchen waste from a number of nearby households as well as composting everything that comes from the garden (weeds, prunings etc). I've been learning about the art of teaching people about composting (which like every other form of teaching I've had anything to do with involved a lot of learning). I've also become the promotions person which is a slightly novel experience for one with my background!

I suppose what I'm concluding from all this that the whole idea of social learning and on reflecting on action is as useful gardening and composting as it is in lots of other places. No compost heap or garden is ever the same and on top of that everyone who gardens has learned a great deal through their own experimentation and assessment of success or failure.

This means that actually it is feasible to learn something from everyone who has every tried to plant and grow something and that good gardeners have to be good at reflecting on their efforts because the environment in which they garden is continually throwing new issues and problems their way.

Slow living

I'm reading a book by Wendy Parkins & Geoffrey Craig called Slow Living and really enjoying it.

Slow living has emerged from the slow food movement and builds from it. They talk about slow cities - small cities of 50 000 people or less which are focused on fostering "slow spaces" - spaces where people can take time out to reflect, and wonder and to enjoy just being with and talking to other people. Slow spaces, in other words are spaces that encourage people to build some form of community.

What I really like about their argument is the idea that we need to learn how to enjoy life, "to be less impressed by money and success, . . . and to have alternative stories about what makes life good" (I'm quoting one Adam Philips here) Slowing down occasionally and reflecting on enjoyment actually enhances it. If we just keep moving fast, there it not time to notice the little things nor to reflect on or be grateful for the enjoyment and wonder that exists in the everyday.

To this end, I've started a new practice of recording all the things that I've enjoyed about each day at the end of it and I find that there are an increasing number as I get better at spotting them.

:-)