Today was a most excellent day, indeed! Even though the weather was loony – schizophrenic, I might say. In no way did it hamper our plans. Judy showed me a whole lot of North Norfolk County. We drove through Binham and Langham. We saw Blakeney Quay[1], with its beautiful, peaceful sand dunes. We didn’t walk all the way out to them though[2]. I got to see Blakeney with the tide way, way ridiculously out, as well as the tide in. A magnificent sight to behold.
These towns we drove through and visited were so… I’m telling you, they were straight out of fairytale books. I felt like a kid who made a wish and found herself in the places she’d only previously read about. The places where she dreamed she was the sweet maiden whom a royal prince would discover and whisk off to his kingdom in the sky! So many rolling green hills! The color of emeralds. Mesmerizing. Judy and I spent time sipping tea and visiting at her new house in Blakeney, far out on the outskirts of Fakenham. Well, the house isn’t actually new. She just moved in. It’s part of the Thomas Cook[3] family estate. A massive house all to herself, with stunning views of lush, golden fields, the wildlife preserve, and in the far distance, St. Peter’s Cathedral clock tower[4].
After finishing our tea, we took her dog Lucy for a walk on the trails at the marshes[5]. A homing pigeon sort of “led” us on our journey. He obviously wasn’t afraid of us humans, and he kept teasing poor Lucy. I had to try not to laugh at that, because I didn’t want to make Lucy feel bad. She was a good sport though, as she kept trying to playfully nip at that cocky pigeon[6] each time he dove towards her and then flittered around and around, making Lucy go in circles. Almost like she was chasing her own tail, which I find is always good for a laugh. Poor dizzy Lucy! Just when we thought he was flying off for home, he circled around and landed just a little ways ahead of us. Silly bird! Now, being a NYC resident and all, I am generally not a huge fan of pigeons, but I dare say that this was the cleanest and most attractive pigeon I’d ever laid my eyes upon.
A bit later, Judy took me even deeper into the forest to meet her friend Brenda, who happens to be a Druid[7]. She and her husband live on this amazing spread of land. Ten acres, Judy thinks! They have animals galore. Highland cattle, horses, pigs, peacocks, guinea fowl, and many other birds. Oh, and the sounds of this place… The sounds of nature… You can hear and feel it all around you. And it’s so enchanting… So serene. Everything feels so…right.
HARMONY
Here it was. Right in front of me. And I was soaking it in. Brenda guided me to a section of her garden where she had a beautiful stone circle. She left me there, as I walked quietly within it for some time, basking in the peace I so effortlessly found there. I felt the release of any burdens I’d been carrying around with me. They melted off my shoulders, and out of my busy mind, which finally, finally began to slow down and get quiet.
Brenda was an intriguing person, to say the least. She seemed so…whole. So happy. But it was real, you know? And not that annoying, “Oh I’m so happy and grateful and serene…” and all that phony crap. Listen I know – believe me I know – life can be really hard, and sometimes… No. Often humans are seeking comfort from some form of spirituality. To make us feel better. To give us strength to keep going. To live. But “words of wisdom” are just that. Words. And most of us aren’t discerning enough about whom we choose to listen to[8]. And whom we choose to trust[9]. Any “positive” effects we have felt from reading all those feel-good books everyone and their mother said we had to read, and writing those gratitude lists – it’s temporary. Fleeting. You know this to be true. Why else would we be constantly, constantly looking for the next book that will “change our lives” and sustain what we haven’t learned to sustain on our own?
So, in my humble opinion, it’s a shallow and superficial spirituality. And please understand me when I say I’m not talking about shallow and superficial like some poor little rich girl from Beverly Hills who broke the heel off her Jimmy Choo’s. No. I mean when we rely on books, and the words and wisdoms of others (so many others) to make ourselves whole, we’re only scratching the surface. We’re trying to convince ourselves if we just say or write the words enough it will actually change us. I feel like human beings have it all backwards.
Brenda was the real deal. In harmony with the laws of Nature – real Life — with her heart, mind, body and soul. She was probably the most authentic human being I’d ever seen (at this point in my life, anyway). And oh, man! I still cannot believe I was talking to an actual Druid! This wasn’t some fantasy book I was reading. I was in an enchanted forest! Alas, Judy and I didn’t get as much time one on one time with Brenda as we would have liked. She still had many chores to attend to, and Judy and I had to get back to the “(not-so)-real world” of Fakenham.
The drive back was a quiet one. I think we were both in an introspective mood after our trip to the forest, not to mention both of us seemed to have been overcome with drowsiness. It’d been a long and lovely day, indeed. I sincerely hope I’m being led to do the right things upon my return home. I also hope I’m not planning too much. Or looking ahead too much, you know? All I know is I need to take it one day at a time. That’s all. I can manage that, right? So, speaking of looking ahead…
Tomorrow, if it all works out, Terry-from-AA is taking me to a very special Abbey in the area. We shall see what happens. If it happens.
[1] On the very tip of the “thumb of England” (aka East Anglia)
[2] Lest we get swept away to sea?
[3] Yes, he’s the founder of the travel agency that is now the Thomas Cook Group. He died back in 1892.
[4] The one in Fakenham, not Rome. Ha ha ha.
[5] There are lots of marsh lands out there. Lots of trails, too.
[6] Heh. Get it? Cock-y pigeon? Oh, never mind.
[7] In the modern incarnation of druidism (Neo-Druidism) as a spiritual practice, it’s believers – aka Druids – promote harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. Thankfully – and rightfully so – they’ve gotten rid of the human sacrifice part, which was previously enjoyed by their ancient predecessors.
[8] The New York Times Best Seller List is not your guide. Even your best friend is probably not your best guide.
[9] A very wise friend of mine in France once said, “Trust only those who have truly suffered.”
The Princess of Fakenham 