Take a step back and relax

Over Thursday and Friday this week me and my oldest son decided to have a disconnect from everything. Last year the pair of us scrambled, walked and clambered up Mt Snowdon in dear old Wales. Just over a month later he was hospitalised and could barely walk…yet the only thing he could ask me lying in bed swollen and in tears of pain was if he could walk it again.

How could I refuse?

So this year we have waited and waited and finally decided to make an adventure of it.

Sure, he has had a rough ride but I didn’t exactly realise how much I had done those 12 months too. We decided to sleep in the back of my car (enough space to make a double bed) so we found a spot with no phone reception surrounded on three sides by mountains totally isolated to just chill.

We lay back watched the stars and film before going to sleep.

Morning time and I’ve obviously hardly slept having had dreams of short people breaking into the car trying to steal it. That and I spent the night mulling over something that had carried over from work and getting myself a little frustrated.

Then came sunrise…the first thing he said was “I’ve never seen the sunrise before”. He has but there was something about him seeing it completely free of artificial light, city noise and tablet computers (he’s a bugger for tablets and watching YouTube).

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He was mesmerized and we ended up climbing two hours earlier than planned simply so the sun could rise behind us. Both of us were in awe as the mountain in front of us seemed to emerge from shadow painted in a bright orange light. It was more than magical and I spent the whole time just talking to him.

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Yeah I have stuff to deal with at work (good and bad), all the book stuff rolling around, family things, life stressed etc etc etc but as we walked up we just talked rubbish. And nothing mattered. Just the fact we were there together in the middle of nowhere being alone.

We had Left so early we only saw a half dozen people at most and one point he was stunned into silence, literally. Neither of us spoke and it was like we had entered a vacuum. No noise, no sound, the distant lakes below so far away even the rippling water made nothing we could hear. It was peaceful and perfect and I realised I had been getting myself heated up lately over things that really don’t matter.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love my work, I’m really (I’m thinking and hoping) making headway into the published author world but it’s still early days. But really why should I get upset or stressed about it.

We walked up and down. Some would scoff and ask why is walk up and down a massive hill with an eight-year-old when we could play sports or something else…well to each their own. For me, that’s the time I get to be away from everything.

Those who know me understand I’m an antisocial bugger. Working with people, and not always the nicest society has to offer, I prefer my own company and that of my family most of the time. So for me being up there was just what I needed.

I couldn’t tell you how long we were walking at the time (obviously being a fitness freak I timed every last detail) but doing it was not important.

By the time we got back I honestly felt recharged (don’t get me wrong it didn’t take long for work to irritate me as soon as I got back but that’s a whole other story).

I did understand I need those moments. Sure I always use my writing to escape but that does come at a cost (as I am often told) when I am creating my fictional worlds it’s a very solo place. Creating is the time when I withdraw from humans and family. Only once I release the stories can other people join me but by then the damage of family time is normally done. This sort of stuff lets me have my lonely time but also be connected with those that matter most.

But what have I really said in this post other than I’ve had a lovely couple of days walking in the mountains? Nothing! That and everything. It’s a reminder to me and anyone else that sometimes we become consumed by everything…the real, the fake, the stuff that matters and the stuff that doesn’t. Sure I get my daily escape into writing but it isn’t really escape. Sometimes it is good to just get away from it all recharge and reconnect to the fact some things need to be attended to more than others.

I suppose I’m lucky in the fact my world isn’t as stressful as others. I have my way to compartmentalize everything and different aspects of life which helps.me keep in balance. Sometimes though some parts bleed into others and pollute them but taking time away hits almost that reset button and lets me become the acceptable human being again.

Of course, the beauty of the place helps and even gives me some inspiration. What better way to immortalise the stuff I see than translate it some way into a story in the future.

Well, I’m currently sat in children’s soft play centre having worked nights and decided to write this on my phone (excuse any random spelling mistakes please). It isn’t like I can use my new laptop as that has got to go back because it isn’t working properly.

Here we go again…

 

[image error]My favourite view into the valley with the mini-me!