Bev Visits today

Tuesday, I was happy to be home and reunited with my pets, my fireplace and the quiet simple slow life of Pinecone Park. I did nothing worthy of talking about here.

This morning I woke to a cacophony of sound—torrential rain was pounding out a discordant symphony on my tin roof. And I had to go out in it almost immediately upon rising to get wood for the fire. Ah, the simple rural life. I love it.

Today Bev comes from Nanaimo for a visit. I’ve got lunch ready. We went to high school together and have been friends ever since.

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I feel very good, very often. Every day, at least once, I get a “rush” of joy, triggered by something in my immediate environment—a kitty cat, Sheba, the fireplace, my lawn, sunlight. There’s always a trigger, but the rush that hits me is not about the trigger, it’s about living here on Gabriola and living, for the most part, a solitary life.

Just as I’ve had to come to terms with my symptoms over the past two-and-a-half years, I’ve also accepted that I’ve become a person who prefers Baroque to contemporary music, a person who sleeps eight or more hours a night instead of four, a person without ambition and someone who really likes being alone.

My rushes only happen when I’m by myself.

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I was a loner in my work all my life.

I started out as a teacher. I quite liked teaching but I hated being a teacher. I did not agree with a lot of the pedagogical principles of the school. So I quit. I dove with enthusiasm into the world of professional theatre and from then on was the boss. I worked best following my own rules.

Consequently, when I retired and volunteered for PAL (the Performing Arts Lodge project in Vancouver), I had difficulty working with committees so I raised a hundred grand for them doing my own independent fundraising projects.

But here, I totally chuffed to find myself loving working with the Arts Council fundraising committee. I reallyenjoy being part of the team and I feel very good about everyone on the committee. That’s a huge change for the better. I’ve never got on so well in/with public process.