Inspirations & Connections | V. Interruptions
Interruptions come in many forms. Perhaps one of our greatest challenges is living a life which remains open, free, and spontaneous, one in which we can adapt and evolve to the changes around us.
Community, and creating a sense of community, is so important to me, and to the world. In this series, taking a particular theme, I want to share with you some of the inspirations, connections and other communities which have enriched my life, in the hope that they may do the same for you too.
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I happened to be listening to the radio the other day when the music came to an abrupt halt. After a period of silence which seemed to go on forever, in reality, probably only a few seconds, an announcement came over the airwaves apologising for the break in transmission. In unmistakable BBC English, the station’s sincere apologies were offered with the hope that the programme would be restored as soon as possible. We were left with some alternative music to fill the gap.
These breaks in transmission are rare these days, in fact I can’t remember the last. As a child, they seemed fairly frequent, notably on the television, when programmes would often cut out; we would be left wondering how long the break might be, and if the programme would ever be restored. Sometimes, especially in live programmes, the line would be mended, and you would simply accept you’d missed some of it. There was no catch-up in those days.
It’s a strange feeling to be cut off. When the phone mast goes down, the internet fails, or the WiFi stops working, we feel lost because, rightly or wrongly, we have come to rely on these modern technologies for even the most basic tasks of everyday life. A few weeks ago, an international outage had a huge effect on people and businesses. Whilst they were understandably frustrated, what I found more interesting was the fact that many people were forced to face, head on, their reliance on technology. Was it a wake-up call? Probably not, because I’m as guilty as the next person as going straight back to normal.
I was inspired reading
’s recent post about her life-changing week spent in a Welsh woodland:
She writes:
‘There was a nearby sheep field with a huge rock to sit on, and the view was absolutely fantastic. We made the effort to go up there every day, not only for the exercise but also so I could quickly check my phone for any messages. You see, at the cabin there was no phone service and no internet. The thought had been quite daunting before we went, I actually had a wobble around a week before we headed to Wales as I couldn’t fathom spending an extended amount of time with limited access to a phone. What if there’s an emergency? What if I need to get to a phone in the middle of the night? In reality, it was fine. We actually turned our phones off when we were at the cabin. There was simply no point in us having them on.’
As much as I love switching off from time to time, I, like many of you, will relate to that sense of ‘wobble’. It’s easy for our minds to be taken over by what ifs. Switching off is not easy, whether it’s from technology or simply from everything going on around us. I am, and have always been bad at relaxing. Ironically, this most natural of things is one of the hardest.
wrote recently about living lightly, spontaneously, and effortlessly:‘I’ve never owned a sun lounger. I always thought it would be way too indulgent to actually own one. “Who actually rests that much without feeling guilty?!”, I would think…[but] why shouldn’t I relax in comfort in my garden without feeling guilty? And thinking much bigger; how can I live my life with more ease, more joy and more flow, especially when things get difficult?’
I wrote last week about my own connection to nature, and how that grounds and roots me, especially when life’s path is far from smooth.
wrote recently:‘It’s easy to hear bad news and to feel its weight. It’s not hard to feel hopeless. But when you stop, still and notice there is wonderment and delight. There is a connection to all creation. There’s the feeling of being part of that web, that flow, the pulse of all things. And in that space there is the inspiration to create and the energy to find flow.’
Interruptions come in many forms, and they will continue to come throughout our lives. Sometimes they are minor inconveniences, but at other times, they can shake the rocks in which we stand, challenging us to re-evaluate all we thought we knew and were certain of. Perhaps one of life’s challenges is finding a way to steer through those interruptions? But also, perhaps there’s a greater challenge in living a life which remains open, free, and spontaneous, one in which we can adapt and evolve to the changes around us?
Ultimately, we can only live in the present. We can’t alter the past, and hand on heart, none of us has any idea what tomorrow will bring. I believe that seeking a slower and gentler pace of life can, at least, help to ground us in something bigger, that when those inevitable breaks in transmission come, we can embrace and navigate them with ease and freedom.
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I really loved this, David. Thank you for these reflections - and for the shout out! I think that breaks in transmission can be so helpful sometimes - it truly makes you stop and realise just how much we rely on technology nowadays, or how easily we are drawn to it in a spare moment. I personally miss the days when power cuts were more of a thing - I do adore the idea of reading by candlelight/torchlight whilst waiting for the electricity to come back!
Thank you for the mention David 🙏🏼. I resonate strongly with your closing thoughts about finding ways to deal with interruptions, whatever form they take. If there’s one thing that’s certain, it’s that interruptions are inevitable, and navigating them certainly feels like a life’s work.