Pull up a chair

I just had time for a three mile walk today between dropping Dan and Abi off at the house and two of the big girls coming 'round for a new year's day drink. 

The lane from Kirkby Lonsdale down to Jubilee Fields runs right past the cottage and I took that route to Devil's Bridge and then cut back along the river, where the evidence of flooding is still obvious. Part of the ground under the new concrete slabs that make up the recently renovated path has washed away, so it's not safe to walk near the edge, hence the makeshift barrier.

Looking back on it, the chair looked like it had more purpose than simply holding a bit of cautionary tape in place. I could imagine some guardian of the Lune sat there, keeping an eye on her river, which, in turn, might be a metaphor for all our lives flowing past under her watchful gaze. 

As long as mankind has had gods - whether they were gods that needed to be appeased or the latter day more forgiving type - it has assumed it was being watched and assessed, perhaps a hangover from childhood when our parents would keep a watchful eye over us, rebuking or complimenting us as required.

But we don't need a third party, mystical agency to do that; we can watch ourselves and live to our own code, knowing - although sometimes forgetting - that doing what we believe to be good and right is what will make us happy. And as Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living".

PS Despite what Blipfoto says, this is *not* my 1,095th post: that was yesterday! (I wonder if it's handling the leap year badly.)