Unexpected Places

Spent the morning in an unexpected place, with no reading material, no computer, no sounds and a group of people who didn't know each other or want to be together. It was interesting for me because it dawned on me that this might be how people first feel when they arrive at one of our events. Especially those who have been sent to something and who already feel that they shouldn't be there.

In my day job I would have been organising a getting to know each other session, as an opportunity shared should never be wasted, but this wasn't my call, so I sat there quietly and waited.

The quiet made me think about how the situation I found myself in could be improved, why not put some poetry in unexpected places then see what happens, that's one idea that came to mind. Adult learning never leaves you and once you've started you're hooked, so my next idea was what about delivering books to people's doorsteps to borrow a thought or two from an American colleague, it might mean more people get the chance to read more! Or what about just smiling and making someone's day by saying hello, I'm......isn't it a lovely day.

My photo today was taken whilst walking back to the car, after the gathering-a river as a reminder of how life still goes on regardless of what we have to do or where we have to be.

William Arthur Ward said, “We can throw stones, complain about them, stumble on them, climb over them, or build with them.”

I think I prefer his building idea.