ACP: A Clear Perspective
The great outdoors. The coastline is on my doorstep. I don’t take advantage of enough. It took two Americans to make me embrace it. Here’s that very story.
The sea. The rugged coastline. The port.
The scenery.
The company.
The memories.
All of which I knew would compliment each other.
Life has been hectic since I last enjoyed visiting the seaside.
That was three or four years ago.
I was quite happy to sit in my suburb and play golf inland. I forgot about the mystery and sublime nature of the coastline.
The UK being an island works in my advantage to explore the furthest points and highest cliffs.
I took it for granted.
Today, I gained a clear perspective.
A quiet, picturesque world existed past the hustle and bustle.
Sunday afternoon walks and family days-out made up the population of the White Cliffs.
Then one Brit and two Americans turned up to disturb the peace.
Today is broken up in parts. Each part gives a fresh perspective on already thought about concepts. Or reaffirmed knowledge and thinking.
It was brilliant to confirm some of my thinking whilst still breathing in some unpolluted air for once.
A great day for mind and body.
Part #1: A boring drive, a resilience builder.
I love to drive. I love to drive with company. I also like to drive alone.
Today was a weird match of the two.
The M20 is a pretty boring road until it gets to Folkestone. It becomes more scenic. Before then, it’s a hard slog.
We drove around 150 miles today. I used cruise control for most of it to save my right foot and my left thigh.
A lot of the conversation was around music. Some music that I wasn’t aware of. I let Roya and Kaylie discuss while I drove the car.
It was somewhat therapeutic. I could hear the changing tracks and I jammed along when I felt the vibe. Otherwise it was a periphery sense.
I instinctively adopted a technique to learn my body more shown to me by my osteopath. He said to focus on one sense. Evidently I was focusing on sight here. It would have been the most advisable at the time.
I heard snippets of songs. Otherwise I was one with my own thoughts. Careering down the motorway. I thought about where this calendar year had taken me.
I thought about the future. I thought about how I could be more efficient. I thought about myself. I considered a lot of factors. I found a conclusion.
My life is precious. I should spend it with people I want to. I should focus on projects I want to. I should have the responsibility to finish tasks. I need to understand I can’t do everything at once. Time does exist. I just need to use it productively and efficiently.
Part #2: The port. A place of industry and normalisation.
From the cliffs you can look down at the port.
All the cars. All the freight trucks. All the ferries.
It’s like a conveyor belt.
I felt like a puppeteer. It was almost like I had control of their movement.
It reminded me about hierarchy and structural system norms.
Not so much that the cars were robots but more that there was a system and they each had a place to be.
It reminded me that you’re as much controlled by the system as you let yourself be.
It’s more convenient to conform to society.
Hence why the cars were in uniform.
Although there’s nothing that the cars and lorries could have done abnormally.
It was just simply the motion and conveyor belt-like phenomenon which fascinated me.
Part #3: Time makes you miss people more.
Today was the last time, before a clubbing night, where I was going to have a long time to hang out with both Kaylie and Roya.
Two Americans who have made this semester more than bearable.
I didn’t realise how much I missed Texas until the snow and pension strikes turned up.
Kaylie, Roya and I haven’t spent a great deal of time with each other.
This trip was more spontaneous. A great time to talk and share opinions.
This is why I love people.
The stories they have to tell.
What’s important to them, what they value, what they want from life.
It’s fascinating.
Why?
Normally it’s very similar to you.
That’s how you make friends. Common connections and similar interests.
Study abroad did that for me.
So I guess I learned the countryside is a great place to let loose.
Re-evaluate and calculate your own stresses.
I felt free and liberated.
I felt adrenaline sitting on the cliff and I felt comfort being with two great friends.
Perspective is a wonderful tool.
I’ll be sure to utilise the countryside and coastline whilst it’s still available to me.
A clear perspective.