Flora Ní Fae
Where the faery and human worlds merge…
Moving again
A new home!
I almost always prefer living in the country, although I like to pop into my little city here every so often for a year maybe of ‘faster’ paced life. It’s great to have the best of both worlds as options.
However, given the current situation, when it was coming up to a year of being back in the city, my itchy feet started propelling me onward as usual, and this time it just made absolute sense – both for my mental and physical health – to get back out to The Green.
So, here we are. I moved out at the end of summer and luckily there is still plenty of sun and warmth and long evenings. My new locality is Irish-speaking, which is always a plus, and I am a few minutes from a gorgeous beach. I have no complaints.
It is so easy to cocoon out here. I try to stay aware of what is happening in the world, but, by choice, I am super selective and I don’t check the news often. You could say my privilege allows me the option to shield myself from the troubles of others….and I would agree. But I do think that there is sometimes too much connection and awareness. I don’t believe that our minds are designed to take on every political crisis on the planet. To stay informed, yes, but I am not able to take in that level of information and not feel responsible for it. If I could watch the news with some sort of healthy detachment, it would maybe be different. I know we feel compelled to fix the world but I see what this immersion does to my friends (who are much better global activists than I am!). It destroys them. They stop seeing the beauty in the world which exists alongside the horrors, and they feel helpless. I tapped out of this a few years ago after a death in the family and I never went back to this whole staying-in-the-loop obligation. I would rather stay well, and focus on the people and situations near me that need my help.
Instead, lots of walks, fresh air, gardening where possible, talking to the people I live close to, a weekly dip in the sea, and rest. It’s these little things that keep you strong. It doesn’t sound very exciting but when I stick to it, it leaves me with enough energy and enthusiasm for life so that when the mood strikes I am ready for mischief. I have a feeling that ‘when this is all over’ – whenever that is – I will have enough energy to spark a firework or two.
Evening walks near my home:
Flora Ní Fae 