I have just been accepted by ‘Read or Die’ as a writer, here. And I am very happy for that to be so. Thank you to Adrian and his team. I have seen many great publications where my writing seemed to not fit very well for one reason or another, but I can see a lot of positivity here, and I like being in tune with that concept, so I am very happy to be here, and I hope to make full use of the welcome.
I know that many people can find January a bit dismal and disappointing after being very active and celebrating during the winter break, and others may be struggling a little to get back into a normal routine of working, and maybe cutting back on food, drink, finances. If you are in these positions, I wish you well, and hope that you find the best way for you to proceed through those challenges.
I live in Bristol (UK), and the air here is crisp and cold, so we are clearly still in Winter, and still have a way to go, but having gone past the solstice, the daylight is very gradually lengthening day-by-day. And although the pleasure of the winter break is now over, and we are getting back into a working routine, it is also true that any stresses related to this time of year are beginning to abate, and we are back to pursuing communal interests in addition to our own individual pursuits. Thus, for example, writing on Medium is necessarily a community pursuit, in addition to being the sum of many individual pursuits, too. And on a smaller level, the same is true for publications.
The sense of community, or a series of communities is attractive to many of the writers, and also many of the readers here, too; and it highlights the social nature of humanity, where we live in families within cities, towns, villages in the physical world, whilst simultaneously incorporating our individual responsibilities, routines and aspirations. We can have goals for ourselves, our families, our careers, our social networks and all the ways we are involved with other people. Indeed, the daily life of every human being revolves around ourselves, for sure, but also our place in the world, according to our relationships, or lack of them. For many, that includes relationships with animals and nature, too, with pets playing a very important role for many, and the relationships forged here can be every bit as intense and important as human-to-human interactions.
Thus, the life of a human is an enriched one, offering many opportunities for us to engage on the various levels that we might prefer, as we have many choices. For myself, for example, I choose to live alone, although engage with family and neighbours, and with friends who are mostly online these days. Others in the community are more gregarious, contributing positively to vibrant city life. I also live in housing for older people, so there is a degree of commonality in our circumstances, which contributes to a sense of community, and as a result, we know each other as neighbours far more than we would within other forms of housing.
I don’t have any money, particularly as I threw every last penny of savings I had into going back to university at this late stage of life (65 years old), which incidentally forms many more social and academic relationships for me, but what I really want to say is that you don’t need money to feel enriched. I think it is about finding the right things to choose in life, and then choosing to apply those things to enable greater contentment. I appreciate that sometimes it is easier said than done, especially if living under extremely adverse circumstances, and certainly, I have trodden some very long paths in that respect. But it is never too late to try, and even a few small changes can contribute greatly to a sense of wellbeing.
Thus, my wish for everyone else is that you find what works for you personally, and make some changes towards that goal, even if they are gradual in nature; and together, we can celebrate those changes, especially when you share them by writing about them here, on Medium.
Fraser
January 2024