Hello everyone.
One thing we British can always comment on is our climate. When we encounter someone on the street and it would be impolite to just pass by, we can be relied upon to comment on the weather. The fact that the very next person we meet we might make almost a contrary pronouncement is neither here nor there. “Beautiful day!” – “Cold again”. It isn’t what is said but the fact that something is said. In counselling speak it is a ‘stroke’, it is an acknowledgement that you are alive and the person you are talking to is also alive. It is a socially acceptable way of saying ‘I see you’.
It is truly astonishing how most of conversation is drivel, nonsense in content, just more of those ‘strokes’ or superficiality to the point of being bizarre. These days I am glad to say the season of parties passes me by, for I used to cringe at the level of banality that passed for conversation at such events – small talk. Some people excel at it. I never did. Perhaps I was never interested enough in ‘Mrs Whatsits’ bunions or the like, or what their grandchildren were up to. I certainly can’t stand ‘soaps’. What a huge contrast that is to the counselling room where it is not ‘conversation’, especially small talk, but verbal exploration, challenge, and revelation. Perhaps it could be an income source for the charity to write scripts for soap operas based on clients’ stories!!
At least when we talk about the weather there is a tremendous variety of moan, for it does affect each and every one of us:-
“Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot, we must weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not”.
Upon reflexion, does that mean that when writing this newsletter I didn’t really have anything newsworthy to share?
As an aside – some people asked how I got on with my preaching at Epiphany. If you are really interested, I transcribed the sermon. It can found with this link, or you can download a recording of the actual sermon to view here.
The usual updates are there this month, Planting by the Moon and Astrology for Healers and Therapists.
Have a good Month – Blessings
John
