Waiting for the station

I've used this story, attributed to Robert Hastings, many times with groups from all backgrounds to describe the tension between want, need and what makes us smile. It feels even more relevant, and a touch ironic, to read it on the backslide of the worst recession in two generations.

Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are travelling by train. Out of the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillside, of smoke rising from chimneys, of row upon row of corn and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of mountains and rolling hillside, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our minds is the final destination. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there our dreams will come true, and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering – waiting, waiting for the station.

“When we reach the station, that will be it!” we cry”.

When I get that job...

When I buy a new SLK Mercedes!”

When I put my last child through college..

When I finally pay off the mortgage...”

When I get my next promotion...

When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily every after...

Sooner or later we must realise there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto. It isn’t the burdens of today that drive people mad. It is the regrets over yesterday and fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rivers, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The station will come soon enough.

Using Nature's Compass

A user's guide to Britain's only coastal national park

Protected landscapes bring inspiration to the millions of people who visit Britain’s National Parks each year to stay and play in wild and spectacular places. The Pembrokeshire Coast, my lifetime home and stomping ground, remains the most special place that I’ve ever encountered despite travels to the four corners of the earth for work, surf and exploration – the landscape and people of the park have influenced my life and business in countless positive ways.

Changing times are driving changed thinking, and The Pembrokeshire Coast has an even more important role today, to inspire, reenergise and focus the minds and spirit of those who visit. The National Parks were created at a time when policy makers thought that it would be enough to protect a dozen or so of Britain’s most special areas – we’re coming to recognise now that the same principles need to apply to the way we look after our planet, as well as our National Parks.

We need to learn to tread differently as we walk through our ‘planet park’ and treat each ecosystem, specie and living thing as special, here for a purpose and with a right to life. We need to recognise that no amount of small actions, important though they are, can make the difference that’s needed, and that it’s time to re-imagine a way of living that would have nature want us to stay around.

Whilst enjoying the majesty and magic of the Pembrokeshire coast, hills and islands, take time to make conversation and talk of the things that will keep this jewel of nature special for generations to come. Reflect on American architect Bill McDonough question “how can we come to love all of the children of all species for all time?” and work out how we can holiday, work, life and play differently to do this. Take time to see nature through the eyes of Graham Sutherland at Oriel y Parc, and find out more about the St Davids Eco City Project’s work on rainwater harvesting, solar powering the school, making 100% plastic recycling possible, and more.

Take time in Pembrokeshire to draw breath and inspiration from time spent in nature. Use your experiences as a compass to steer a direction strong and true, and take memories of coast, flowers, beach, salt cliff and sand as sustenance for your journey, and bring your stories when you return. Hwyl fawr.

Seek and ye shall find

In searching for good data on sustainability and climate related issues, I've found it useful to use more than one search engine. For quite a few years, TYF have been using Zen Internet as our ISP, and they've been great; one of the handy things they provide is a monthly newsletter with a lot of good snippets from the edge of the tech world; this month's listings include search engines alternatives to google:

http://biznar.com - Biznar searches business-related sources.

http://mednar.com - Mednar searches medical information sources.

http://www.techxtra.ac.uk - Searches 31 engineering, mathematics and computing collections.

http://www.Scitopia.org - Searches digital libraries of science and technology societies.

http://lifesearch.indexdata.dk - Searches Copenhagen University Library of Life Sciences.

http://short.zen.co.uk/?id=bdd - Searches Canadian Consortium of Libraries.

http://www.WorldWideScience.org - Worldwide content from government, research and academic sources.

A Million Minds

Had a few great conversations during the week with attendees at two Assembly-sponsored community climate change events. With 125 or so delegates each, the events brought together a wide range of community groups, and most importantly, a handful of other valuable people who had the ability to fill in some of the gaps.

A Million Minds is a colleages and universities to embed a three hour action learning enquiry on the impact of climate change, peak oil and resource depletion into the work programme for 326,000 students in Wales.

Three people I spoke to, from the Assembly, Groundwork and private sector, we incredibly supportive of the project aim, and I have a good feeling that this one might run through and happen. If it does, it has the potential to make a significant impact.

Transition Project Update

The plans to submit a 10 towns-based Transition Towns bid, with a collaboration between St Davids, Llandeilo, Lampeter, Fishguard and Blaeunau Ffestioniog are taking shape well, with an Interreg European bid due to be submitted in April. Martin Fitton has been developing the Wales side of the programme, working with Davie Philip in at Sustainable Ireland as our partner organisation.

Tom Latter, who founded the Fishguard project, recently sent a useful link to a workshop that Rob Hopkins recently gave at the Findhorn Foundation; click here for more details.