"Through falling leaves
I pick my way slowly,
Talking aloud
Eases my my mind,
Sunlight filters through
I fell my head is drifting.
So full of thoughts
I've thought of
What am I gonna do
I need some thoughts that are new"
- 'Nature', the Mutton Birds.
Eight weeks have come and gone here in paradise. Eight weeks of questions around taking one step forward and two steps backward. Eight weeks of a life unrestricted.
And now, after eight weeks in Rarotonga, I think I might have found the antidote to a cloudy mind.
Being Sunday I went to church and this week found myself at the Apostolic Church in Tupapa covering the Olympic team’s attendance.
After the service I went outside and had a look at the landscape, the rugged terrain and gave myself a moment to soak in the sound of leaves caressing each other in the easy breeze.
That was it. It was exactly what I needed.
I didn’t need to find justification through my workload or an over-commitment to several groups of people on the island.
The answer was right in front me. Nature, in all of its beauty and intrigue, was the tonic.
--
I went and had dinner at Trader Jacks tonight. I sat at a bench and looked out over the water as the sun started to set and the recurring theme of nature complementing a well balanced mind re-emerged.
I sat, stared out and read a feature article about the Oglala Lakota people who live in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation from this month’s issue of National Geographic.
What a touching recollection of past tragedies and the subsequent revival of traditional Indian cultures it was. I thoroughly recommend it and thank fellow Cook Islands News journo Rachel Reeves for sharing.
The link for the feature is here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/08/pine-ridge/fuller-text
After reading it, I took more time to further soak in my surroundings - the beautiful glassy water, the fabulously contrasting peaks towards the middle of the island and the Polynesian twist to well-known songs.
It sure makes for a better place than the Red Hut only a few days earlier.
--
Can I just say how wonderfully appreciative I am of all of you who have commented on the previous post or commented on the link, or got in contact with me to discuss it. Sometimes you forget just how many people are in your corner and I do really want to thank you all for your words of encouragement.
As a result, I'm going to send out some postcards with a little thank you message/update to show my appreciation! Just message me your address either through email (matiuworkman@gmail.com) or my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Matiu-Workman/121748831238664 and I'll send one your way :)
--
Meitaki maata for another week,
MW
:D
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