I don’t know what she’s on, but I want some…

At least we hope they were drunk...

The team of bloggers here see and hear a lot of random, slightly strange things to do with Local Government, be they structural, procedural or the actions of people.  That being said, we are always looking out for other things which might be amusing, so should you have any points you think are a little, well, strange or interesting you can always contact us at welovelocalgovernment@gmail.com.

One of our readers recently did so, forwarding this gem of an e-mail bemoaning the ending of their summer walking club (we talked about our own Council’s efforts a while ago); at least we think that’s what it’s about as it’s a little unclear…

Be aware, this is from a relatively senior manager, was sent to about 60 or more people and we haven’t edited it for grammar, spelling or content.  We’re guessing two and a half bottles of red…

I wonder how many of  my walking peers remember  last summer?  Does anyone remember it ?-because for me it certainly was  memorable for having been introduced by Rachel, Kirsty and Keith to lunchtime explorations of the area-an area of hidden delights – history, beauty and revelations – both human and ecological.

But now those lazy , hazy days of summer are gone  (apologies to that wonderful supremely talented American singer-the late Nat King Cole) and  now as I try to tempt my constant walking companion to venture out ,she would peer  up at   the luminous grey  sky ,wrinkle up her pert nose, flick her dark hair  and say”thanks but no thanks- I think its going to rain -summer’s ended”.

Well endings have a sense of melancholy about them .We feel sad  when experiences come to an end and that is alright since we need to mourn the finishing of something  – to mull it over , be tearful ,to treasure the good times and to assimilate the lessons taught by the bad. We do this  in order   to free ouselves up to what awaits us- uncertain new experiences bringing different challenges yet new opportunities. We rush ahead  into life whilst Mother earth sashays  gradually  into the autumn and then winter as the sun begins his  journey towards the Tropic of Capricorn in the South.( well it is not the Sun which  is moving but it is the earth that  spins – such is the delusion of our perceptions – of our five senses). And this stately  descent of Mother Nature into autumn -that “season of mist and mellow fruitfuilness-close bosomed friend of the maturing sun” is not a final harvest  but a preparation for further  beginnings- fresh fields of endeavour to sow and new crops to reap. We can certainly put into practice lessons learnt from past times and develop different ways of being and seeing . We see things as starting ,existing and then finishing against the backdrop of time but Time is an invention of the mind -there is no linear progression . And yet it seems to us as though it is .Everything in this Universe moves in a cyclical fashion -gestation, birth ,growth , maturity , decay, death ………….then another gestation , birth ,growth ….and so on.

As it is with Mother Nature so it is with Man, so it is with civilizations and  organisational cultures.  Remember that you are unique both as a species and as an individual -you have within you  unimagined ,untapped reservoirs of strength  , stamina ,resilience and resourcefulness. It is with this thought my fellow journeymen  that I  bid you farewell. I  am off to start a  winter walking group elsewhere!

My warm regards and respects to you all

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Tags: drunk, e-mail, ramble, walking club, what the?!

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