HOMELY HOMILY BY GLENN STEVENS

BY GLENN STEVENS

Reaching out

Now is the time of year when we think about how over the festive period, we have managed to eat our own body weight in chocolate and it’s time to think about making those New Year resolutions, like eating better, doing more exercise and cutting down on our screen time in their various forms. Over the next 12 months, these will undoubtedly fall to the wayside but hopefully not all together! My New Year’s resolution? It’s all about acknowledging time.

“Walking has not just been good for saving money and improving my health with my cholesterol now lower, it has given me time to think, plan and sort out the endless thoughts, ideas and sometimes worries that swirl around my head.”

During the first lockdown (is it really over two years ago?!) I rekindled my love of cooking and invested the time trying lots of new recipes. When I have time, I’m up for trying something that needs smoked truffle honey, while using an Aga, then wrapping it all up in a pile of gold leaves, but mainly I have been devouring recipes from the Hairy Bikers’ veggie cookbooks, which have given me some new staples to knock out in good time when I get home from work. I have friends who swear by the gym for their health (physical and mental) but it has never really worked for me, nor swimming: I’m too splashy in the water. But during the second lockdown, I discovered I liked walking more than I ever realised and when I returned to work, gave up the bus rides and walked instead. For me, walking has not just been good for saving money and improving my health with my cholesterol now lower, it has given me time to think, plan and sort out the endless thoughts, ideas and sometimes worries that swirl around my head. When I think about my own screen time and see how most of us these days are fixed to either our phones or computer screens, I wonder just how did we fill our time before they invented such essential evils!

As brilliant as this technology is, it’s funny that now we have so many labour-saving devices to hand, and yet time seems to run faster than ever, or is that just an age thing? I have found it is much easier to fire off a quick text or email rather than dial and speak to my mates. The convenience of quickly checking in has its place, but there is also a need to take the time to pick up the phone and chat and check in with our friends. It is important to remind our mates that we have time for them too. It’s very easy to think that our friends know this, but it is also good to just let those who are struggling a bit know that they can call. Sometimes it’s not about having the answers, in fact most of the time it is just about ‘being there’ and listening. Equally, and this is something I have recognised in myself, not to feel that everyone is too busy when you need to reach out and talk to someone too. Here’s to time well spent, Happy New Year.