Another lunar cycle finds her rhythm. The old brown leaves fall off the tree, and new green buds appear on stems.
I have been attending so-called “town-hall discussions”, in various industries; and cherishing precious moments with friends, and (chosen) family.
I would like to present a haiku from a friend:
no one said the road was easy; but no one said it was not joyful
The (public) pianist is not like a lone barista, who sits at a shop counter, waiting for customers to approach him for a dose of caffeine (which is a legal psychoactive drug, by the way).
People gather up the courage – or recklessness – to ask the pianist to play their favorite songs.
Chio Tee went rock-climbing in her cheong sam.
No, this wasn't rock-climbing, this was bouldering – just like her colleagues have done, in Thailand.
But this time, she was stranded on an island in the Indonesian archipelago. She looked at her son beside her, who had just produced some faeces in his baby-blue pants; the poor infant had been born blind. He was howling.
In her hair was still the hibiscus flower her husband had given her, when he had tearfully waved goodbye to her at the ship-port. Where was her husband when she needed him?
Many things have happened since the previous new moon, planet-dwellers.
Someone in my chosen family told me: “Simplify your life. And then simplify again. Happiness follows.”
When I think about it, some things are best left unsaid and un-announced to the wider public. Everyone will be happier that way.
What news can I then bring you on this new lunar cycle, my fellow esteemed gaia-naut?
I know! Let me check the logs on my camera, (a beauty from the digital-camera manufacturers of the 2010s.)
I met someone who runs workshops on Guided Journalling. She shared a prompt with me: “What would be the sweetest and kindest thing that someone can say to you?”
Uh... I have to admit I have to think a bit, for that one.
I know! Why don't I look up what others have already said about me?
I feel shy though.
Here's something from J, a poet:
Thank you for your gentle, kindly presence and the warmth you bring to every space you enter.
Thank you, J.
And, from O, a restauranteur:
You play the piano so beautifully.
Aw, you're gonna make me blush. Thank you, O.
Okay, I think that's enough.
I saw a few fascinating birds. Words cannot do them justice. Neither can photos nor videos, for that matter; the form is not the same as the substance. But, oh, what wonder!
And, on a more than one occasion, a butterfly has floated past me, like a visitor from a far-away planet. I recall a humorous quip: “Life is like being stuck in a traffic jam, and moments of beauty are like the butterfly that floats past your windscreen as you stew inside your car: rare but much-needed.”
My sabbatical started on 30 January 2025 and today is the 30 January 2026. Last night, the moon was about half full.
How should I begin to tell the tale? Perhaps the lyrics of a jazz classic might express it more concisely. Presenting Nature Boy:
There was a boy A very strange and wonderful boy he travelled very far, very far over land and sea
Then one blessed day he came my way
It's been a season of grief and loss.
But kind souls are holding space for me to soothe this pain, in community. Feelings of gratefulness and gladness wash over me.
Some nice things that have helped me to navigate surges of sadness and other emotions:
I have provided some hospitality to visitors from southern Germany, as best as my weak mind and feeble body could.
With the help of a few wonderful and illustrious women, I managed to serve them with salad, and lentil soup, and pizza, all of which were vegan or at least vegetarian.
In 23 May 2020, I had the privilege of meeting Benjamin Suttmeier for a crash course on How To Scout Locations For City Photography.
On that evening, (8 PM with unbelievable humidity), he introduced me to the cool visual effect of light trails.
Here is an example, all the way from Spain.
Photo by Caleb Stokes on Unsplash.
And here are my results, after much trial-and-error (from twiddling with the knobs and dials on a camera that a friend recently gifted to me.)