Knock, knock… I’m still here

It has been a long time between drinks since my last blog post. My absence wasn’t intentional but life happens. I had written that I would explore the origins of Easter, and I will. First, I need to get my headspace in the right zone. At the moment, my mind is all over the place, so much is going on at work and at home and trying to get into the writing space isn’t happening. I’ve decided not force myself to write because I know the work would be substandard and I won’t be happy with what I produce.

I did go away for a week to a small town called Pemberton, about a four-hour drive south of Perth. We stayed at Big Brook Cottages. Absolutely lovely cottages, only four on the property and no children! Corinna and Paul, the owners, were wonderful and very hospitable. So nice too, after a long and stressful school term.

Pemberton is part of our tall timber region and home to various species of trees only to be found in our South-West of Western Australia. The Marri, Karri and Jarrah trees are stunning and can grow to over 40 metres. The Jarrah tree, a hard wood, had been used as timber for houses and furniture. Today, it is a prized and rare wood, and expensive. Much of these trees and many other species, plus much of our flora, are now protected by the government under the Conservation and Land Management Act. It is a beautiful location and to walk amongst these gentle giants, is a privilege. We did a lot of walking and took the time to appreciate the native forests. I also took a lot of photos.

I had taught in a town nearby and on the weekends would go for drives and walk in the forests. That’s what I remembered most about the region, and the connection to nature. It was revitalising and the purest form of enjoyment. Plus, mobile and internet connectivity was low to nil, and I really loved not being connected to the world. It was nice not to be dictated to by all this digital noise.

So, what am I up to now?

For the time being, I am in survival mode, though after having read Jacqui Murray’s Born in a treacherous time, my use of the term ‘survival mode’ may not meet the standards that Lucy and her fellow companions had to do to exist in a difficult and dangerous world. Living in a prehistoric period requires a different set of skills in order to ‘survive’, compared to living in the 21st century. Humans have always adapted to their environment, you have to, and this comes through very clearly in Jacqui Murray’s story. To this day, we continue to adjust and adopt a range of skills to endure what this digital age and all else that our extraordinary world expects from us mere mortals. I am sure that is something that Lucy and her kind would scratch their heads and perhaps say, ‘Why?’ when they look at us and our chaotic lives.

Perhaps this is what we should be asking as well. Why?

That’s enough rambling. Thank you for your continued support and as always, I look forward to your comments and will respond.

Historical fiction novelist and a secondary teacher, Luciana Cavallaro, burnt out but not done… yet.

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