The Beauty of Silence...

Friendship and the Unspectacular

I’m just back from a day with my pal Richard on, in his terms, a ‘cheeky wee Corbett’ (a Corbett is a hill between 2,500-2,999feet) near Crianlarich. Beinn nan Imirean can’t actually be seen from the road and is surrounded by much higher peaks both close by but also on the wider horizon, as we were to discover. It was a bit of a slog as the ground was rough and paths were few and sketchy but as we climbed slowly out of the frosty and frozen Glen Dochart with it’s -6 degrees C temperature and low lying cloud this was more than compensated for by the wonderful views that opened up in the clear winter sunshine. Finally from the top we had a good panoramic view over many miles and could indulge in one of our favourite mountain top past times…identifying all the hills we could see, Richard’s knowledge being much more extensive than mine, since he has climbed far more of them. As 2026 opens up I want to share a few take aways from this...

'Time Out' and the true value of things

I've been two weeks away from the work I love due to salmonella poisoning. This itself was a result of eating an egg which I fried knowing there was something wrong with it. In my abundance of optimism I had thought 'I'll be fine...my stomach grew up in India, it can handle anything'. It's been a rough time and I am glad to be coming to the other side of it. Ina has been amazing throughout, but is glad to have her husband returning to something like his old self. As someone who generally has good health it has been an eye opener too in all sorts of ways. The abiding lesson I have taken away from all this ( apart from the obvious!) is how much I love what I do. I missed a very rich two weeks of over 20 personal appointments, three services and a conference I was taking part in as well as other work related meetings and two outreach events. As one of my pals said to me it is a good reminder that none of us ar...

The hopes of children and invention of new colours

On a dark cold winter night as I left the Leisure Centre just before closing time I noticed them ...suspended in the foyer, the stars that primary school children had made expressing their Christmas wishes and hopes for 2026. A surprising number asked for peace in the world and to see more of their family. And then there was this one which included the following: I hope Oban gets a Macdonalds I hope that more colours are invented I hope the everyone has a merry Christmas I hope that the women in Sudan are okay. What wonderful young human beings, able to express the joy and hopes of childhood whilst being aware that all is not well with our world. It's been a crazy roller coaster ride in the month since these stars were put up and it is easy to despair for humanity and our future. We are reminded though by George Herbert; And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness d...

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