Candles, light and hope

Last year I decided to light a candle for 15 minutes every day during Lent and sit quietly. I called it Lent for Libya in my mind as that was the big story at the time. I have no family connection with Libya, but I did sign the Avaaz petition for military help, so I felt responsible.

Sometimes I had a cup of coffee at the same time. Sometimes I was gloomy, anxious and fidgetty. Other times I was more peaceful. But I did it every day as far as I can remember for the 6 weeks. Then after that I simply followed the news, listened to Tribute fm and waited.

Saying goodbye to the Ruth Burrows book

The Lent Group I have been going to on a Monday night held its last meeting this evening. We will miss the discussions arising from reading Ruth Burrows' book Love Unknown.

I have enjoyed being able to listen to the others' takes on her words. I have also enjoyed giving my own views. I hadn't realised the extent to which I am interested in the writer as a person, rather than as a nun. I am less interested in arguments or in being persuaded of a point of view.

I will miss the warm fire and comfortable atmosphere. The slight danger of the walk in the dark along a village road with no pavement livens up the time before and after the meeting. I have loved seeing the big tree at the junction still lit with white Christmas lights and the two planets in the sky in an unusual position.

The village is just a little further away from the local town than my village, so the air is cooler and damper at night as we have walked that short walk from where the car is parked. All these things go to make up an evening out to chat about 'stuff'.

I nearly forgot to mention the conversations with my friend as we took turns giving each other lifts. It is a wonderful opportunity to catch up briefly on how the book is giving us pause for thought.

As I said good bye tonight I said that if she ever was free and wanted me to come over for a coffee 'just call me and I'll come running!', I'm sure that is from a song....

One hour a day

In advance of Lent I am getting used to one hour on online per day. I do it in 4 lots of 15 minutes.

The changes which have followed are simple really: I do more things from my to do list; I write and send emails which I regard as important; I read more and I watch the news/tv more.

H said he'd pay me a reward if I managed to be offline for all of Lent, but I know checking for school emails and any important news is essential, so zero internet would be simply unwise.

My media fast

It has turned out interestingly so far.

The earthquake in Chile has meant that I am particularly keen on TV news and internet news. Email let me find out that my cousins in Santiago got out of their house safely.

I am very glad to no longer be looking through the Daily Mail each day. That is the best bit of this exercise by far.

At other times I am finding enjoyment in watching some old videos. Once watched I can take them to the charity shop to give them away and search for more. Since we are doing autonomous home education I simply buy anything which I think might interest the children or myself. I like being a magpie.

I think the only difference has been an extra awareness of starting to do the media drift, floating from site to site, programme to programme. Rather than that being bad, I'm simply choosing to decide for myself what I want to pay attention to a little bit more than usual. If I am feeling tired I start to drift, but that's ok, being tired is natural. Resting helps!

For Lent

I shall be having a bit of a media fast this Lent. So I will spend my time very wisely when I do get online, in front of our TV and tangled up in the newspaper.

My mother in law asked what I would do with myself instead, and I laughed. I will find out as the days go on. I really don't know how this will change things for me and everyone else.

I'll be doing some silence too. Maybe I will be able to report on that too.

I'm sure there is a home education angle in this somewhere.