I have been surprised by the extent to which the landscape on which I live my life, in the physical and environmental world, translates into my thinking and intellectual world.

For example, I am curious why a path which I take on one of my morning runs, between a river on one side, and a canal on the other side, should command from within me, a deep inner narrative about how I might tackle the problems I encounter in my conflicted soul.

This path, with river and canal side by side, is beautiful, for sure, but I am drawn inward to a place which speaks to me of a need to translate a fast pace life (my river) with my deepening capacity to find a space to be calm (my canal).

The image of the river flowing. and the canal just being, in my plane line of sight as I run, side by side, enables me to think through how I can exit the river and enter the canal for periods of calm and reflection.

Further along the path, the two separate and I find myself on the canal alone, all quiet; all beautiful; all peaceful; all waiting and then over the other side of it, a lake emerges as if it is a repository of all my past thoughts and experiences, into which I can add my latest learning; my latest yearnings; my latest turnings and draw from it the experience I have deposited before.

Soon, up ahead, the river and fast flowing pace of my life will interrupt my reverie with canal and lake, but as I enter once more the fast flowing waters, I am changed within to a deeper awareness of self; a deeper resilience; a deeper perspective; a deeper compassion; a deeper understanding to enable safe passage until once again the river and canal run side by side.

My next blog will be: Mist or Steam

William Defoe