Wednesday 9 May 2012

Hills and things

Uh oh - 2 months no post - I feel condemned by my own record. I'm sure I am in good company in that regard however.
I took a small group of 6 up our one of nearby mountains - Lochnagar, last Saturday. It was a remarkably beautiful day, the hill was in winter condition, and the light was crystal clear, making it all in all a wonderful experience for those who took part (or so they said anyway!) I find it very humbling to see how people who might be fit enough walkers but wouldn't normally venture up into the higher reaches of mountains, and particularly not in winter conditions, will, when given a little boost in confidence by being accompanied by someone with experience, give it a go, and hugely enjoy it.
Many of us have found this to be the case with a huge variety of different activities, from drawing to cooking to, well you name it. Someone to encourage us, hold our hand (metaphorically), and give us confidence and then share with us appreciatively the results (cooking particularly), is often all it takes to get us to extend ourselves in a particular sphere. I sometimes wonder how much talent is withering on the vine out there simply because it hasn't been encouraged, or even worse, diffident first steps have been criticised and trampled on.
I think some us too need to see ourselves as potential encouragers and helpers of others. You don't need certificates or diplomas, all you need is your experience and enthusiasm, and you could be helping someone to discover more of their own potential.


I see this kind of sharing as a form of collaboration. I bring my willingness, you bring your experience and wisdom, and hey presto, we move on to new pastures. I look at the current political scenarios in many places, but maybe especially, at the moment, Greece, and I think, there has to be a way forward if the politicians could drop their posturing and talk to one another as people who want to help their country get out of the rut. Those with lots of experience would have so much to offer the younger energetic and yes angry players, and together they would find a solution. Much of the tragedy of human history is down to bad people doing bad things, admittedly, but quite a large portion of our tragedy is that we just don't collaborate when we could.