There's one word buzzing in my head for the past couple of days and it's freedom. On Friday I made my first visit to do a big shop in over three months and yesterday my husband and I went to the foreshore of Southampton Water to take the breeze and have a walk. It was glorious. Never before had I noticed the ozone in the air so much, or had the seagulls sounded so loud. There was a heavy breeze blowing, and although lots of others were there to enjoy it, it wasn't too difficult to maintain social distancing, so I felt safe and happy too. We walked along the shingle and it was quite difficult after such a long time with not enough exercise.
I've come to appreciate how difficult it's going to be for nearly 68,000,000 people (the population of UK), to safely share the open spaces we have, all at the same time. Compare that to New Zealand, which is roughly the same size as us, and has a population of 5,000,000!
Anyway, going out made me very aware of freedom and how important it is to us all, and how much some people have had to fight for theirs.
I'd looked for quotes on small freedoms but quite rightly they mostly seemed to be about the big struggles, and of all the ones i found, this one appealed most.
"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires." - Nelson Mandela -
I very much think that this came from his heart!
I hope you all enjoy your Sunday in whatever way you can.
Photograph: John Paul Henry, Unsplash
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Hi Roukaya, Muhammad Ali would definitely be a choice for a dinner party guest. He definitely had a way with words! And I agree with your liking for his quotation above. 🙏😊
I can sense from your post that the walk in the fresh air has done you good. God willing it will have been the first of many to come. Eventually we too shall be allowed out but not until it is safe for us.
A quote that is deep and from a man who has walked it. Very appropriate and one that gives strength. I am glad you enjoyed your day out and felt the sense of freedom again. .😊🌼
Thoughtful words from a man who speaks from the heart as well as experience.
😊
Well done on getting out and doing a big shop, it can be nerve wracking doing it for the first time.
I'm so glad you had a lovely walk and thank you for comparing our population to New Zealand's, that's a huge difference, I've never looked up their population to compare to ours so they have a lot more space. We do have some lovely large areas where you can easily keep away from people and I'm thinking of moorland etc.
A very good quote and yes there isn't an easy walk to freedom. We are learning more and more each day and I hope many of us are appreciating what we do have.
Excellent quote from a man of great experience and wisdom, thanks. I smiled too at your sea air walk - I am shielding and just now finished a chat with a pal on the fone saying I do hope soon I can get to the waterside again (need to use car for that and can't do petrol stations just yet in the shield), I have walked early mornings in my local roads whilst shielding (5am - even the dog thinks that normal now!!) which has been great these months and you see a beauty of the day that is indeed rare to the hour and would usually be missed - but I miss my stroll along the water front and the pebble beach - and my waterfront is also - Southampton Water!! So your description brought a real smile to my face!! Well done and keep enjoying it !! - lots of lovely shells to collect too along there.
Haha, we are practically neighbours Helpatlast. Nice to know! Funny about your mentioning the shells. I really noticed those for the first time too as we walked along. With new freedom comes much appreciation! Take care and I hope that you too will be able to take a stroll there again before too long!
I remember how I was anxious about going on the bus to Newport last month for a job interview as I hadn't been on public transport since March just before this kicked off and I had been determined to do it as in my mind I had to start somewhere and couldn't hide away forever and I did it as well and had felt proud of myself.
With regard to shopping when this is over if I don't need to be there then I won't be there which is fair enough and carry on having as little to do with the supermarkets as possible.
So pleased you finally went out and about, staying in makes you really appreciate going out 😉
following on from Roukaya's comment about who she'd like to meet I also would like to meet Muhammed Ali & Nelson Mandela
What a lovely walk, your description of it is wonderful and it does feel like I am there. What a wonderful quote from a wonderful man.
I'm shielding at the moment so can't wait until the beginning of July!! I know I will be very anxious so I think I'm going to start off going to a nice garden centre and take it from there. Hope you had a great day. Lots of love and hugs Lynne xxxx ❤️🤗🌈💜
Having moved to Wales in February, I can see freedom beckoning, but we are still in lockdown, although it is easing.
We are allowed to move around in a 5 mile radius of our homes, and shielding folk are expected to stay in until mid August.
Shops reopening will help somewhat, but we still in parts of Wales have a fairly high infection rate, not helped by tourists who expect to be able to travel into Wales.
Our beaches, public toilets, camp sites and Holiday homes are still closed, so folk trying to come in are not encouraged, as the police intercept them, they are being turned back, fined and escorted back over the border.
Cheers, Midori
This is very true.
I had a very bad time and saw no end to it. But the end came and now I have peace at last.
Thank you for haring this quotation from Nelson Mandela
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Quotation for Monday 22nd June 2020