Friends have pointed out to me before that my optimism can be dangerous. Only ever seeing the good side of things and approaching the world with an unshakable belief that everything will be fine can be setting yourself up for a fall. The fact is that sometimes bad things do happen and no amount of positive thinking is going to make everything ok.
I have in the past been guilty of sticking my fingers in my ears and 'la-la-la not listening' over the voices in my own head telling me to sort stuff out, deal with things, read the warning signs that everything is not ok. Not often and never with any really dire consequences. In the main my tendency towards an airy 'it'll al be fine' response is proved right, but there are times when I have had to stop, face facts and deal with things like a grown up. Not often, obviously, or I'd not be where I am right now, but just sometimes.
Right at the moment we are still enough in the tough winter bit of the year for living conditions to be hard, have just forked out spare funds for this month, next month and the month after on booking a trip off to visit friends and attend a cob course, are in the limbo period between winkle picking and the tourist season / honesty larder income of eggs, jams and crafts. And then the car goes and dies.A week before our biggest ever animal feed bills come in (we have an account so are paying now for the deliveries we had pre Christmas when we were worried about ferries being cancelled and still had six pigs all hungry). Ouch.
We are reminded that even here, in our chosen life away from consumerism and credit card bills there are still times when finances catch up with us and everything just feels a little bit like a house of cards.
So, natural optimism needs to be mixed with a healthy dose of realism and a side order of practicality and some serious consideration as to how to make it all work out. We have some ideas, I'll let you know how they pan out.
In other news today we spent a couple of hours helping a friend pack up a van ready to start moving him and his stuff off Rum. We are excited for him starting a new life but it's been a tough day to keep smiling.
I think your lovely positive attitude toward life and its trials is what makes you so strong, and such fun to be around. I think those to whom it comes less easy find it hard to understand the mindset, just like those who send their chids to school would struggle to understand how Homed might work, especially Freestyle as you do...but I don't see you as a grain-follower :-D You prefer to carve life to suite you and your family, even it is not understandable to the outsider - and I think you are only to be esteemed for having such determination & resilience!
ReplyDeleteMoney is an aweful bind and a constant issue, but I'm with you on this one.. something will come right :-D Meanwhile, I'll send one up for your finances ;-)
Thanks Caroline, you've said some lovely things :) Looking forward to being able to wave airly about cashflow again sometime soon!
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