Have you ever felt paralysed by guilt? You know that you should really do something, but you have put it off for so long, and the guilt associated with that procrastination has built up so much, that you are almost physically unable to make a start on it?
If so, you have an insight into my world.
There are nasty half finished jobs and ‘dirty little secrets’ (as I like to call them) like that hidden all over our house. After a week or so of inaction, those blots on my conscience take on a life of their own, turning into horrible little monsters that torment me when I have a free moment and feel that I should probably be doing something productive.
Fortunately this blog has NOT become like that, but I do feel very bad for not having posted anything for about four months. Oh well, I am new to this blogging lark, and I expect that I will get that hang of it with time.
A wise and favourite author of mine, C S Lewis, in one of his non-fiction works, talks about the nature of time and how we are foolish if we tend to focus too much on the past or the future. The only ‘time’ that we have any control over is this moment – right now. You are choosing to spend the only moment in your life that you have any control over – this moment, now – reading my blog. Thank you!
I have decided to seize this particular moment by writing a new blog post.
So how has our adventure been progressing over the last six months? Well, I hope to explain further in blog posts to follow, but for now I will summarise by saying:
- I have been trying to continue with some of the ‘simple living’ habits that we began to adopt in the Autumn, especially in regards to planning our meals a week ahead and only buying what we need from the supermarket. It has been hard going.
- I took a trip to New Zealand to see my family over Christmas, which means that my ‘carbon footprint’ for this past year is now absolutely hideous! Compared to the environmental impact of my return flight from London, any gains I have made this last six months through energy saving in the home now look ridiculously insignificant. This has given me a lot of food for thought….
- Our toddler is now 18 months old. Need I say more? Busy, busy, busy times ….
- … and I am pregnant again. Less energy plus an energetic little boy equals being forced to slow down and to ‘simplify’ in a very practical sense of the word.
- I have been enjoying reading a number of blogs to which I now regularly subscribe. In particular, My Year Without Spending and The Non-Consumer Advocate have been great sources of inspiration and have continued to keep me mulling over a number of issues even though I have not been writing about them. Thanks for your faithful blogging guys!
And as for those nasty little half finished jobs … well, there is one that springs to mind that I am going to tackle right NOW!
