It has been over a year since I have shared anything here. That’s a story for another day. But for today . . . I hope this post serves to encourage, bless, and inspire . . .

It was in the midnight hours of late December I came to realise I’ve been running too hard, too fast, for too long, and not prioritising myself. As the following day was a day off, I was able to prioritise that as a day for some much needed self care, knowing that a weekend getaway to Portland (planned a month or so back) was coming soon. And so here I am, mid afternoon, now in Portland.

Planning my route, google had given me 3 options. I could go the highway, and do a heap of errands in the availability of  Warrnambool retail, or I could take the back roads (either along the coastline, or inland), and just enjoy the drive. I decided the right choice was the latter. To stop the ‘doing’ & just enjoy the ‘being’ while travelling the inland route, as I have already seen the coast line.

How does one enjoy the scenery at 100kms/hr? One doesn’t.  At which point I was reminded that there is no rush.  So with my gospel music playing, singing along, I slowed down to drive at about 80 or below, taking in the sights of remnant Christmas decorations, be it a fading painted hay stack for a tree, or a single piece of green tinsel  blowing in the wind as it hangs from a letterbox.

Then there’s paddocks and fencelines, hills near and mountains far. I really enjoy a paddock scattered with round hay bales, or ‘communities’ of cattle, some ‘chatting’ around the water trough, some seeking shade under trees, while others are ‘hanging out’ further afield. 
The sights of old farm sheds and cattle yards, maybe no longer used, with some mystery to their history, make me wonder about the stories they hold. Looking ahead, looking behind,  there’s no-one approaching, the road is all mine. So I continue to set my own pace on this drive.

As I approach road signs warning of road works ahead, and the need to slow down, then further along, a single pot hole the size of a crater filled in with red gravel – I assume by a local.
Then stretches of road, with no white lines, 2 lanes wide, but only sealed down the middle, so that’s where I sit.  Until oncoming traffic approaches, and at the right time we each take our respective sides, then we move back to the middle, for the smooth comfort of a sealed road.
In all of this, while I had slowed down, I did not stop. Well, I did for these two photos, albeit very briefly. But there were many other opportunities I contemplated stopping for a photo, but never did. At each opportunity, I just wanted to get to my destination. Reading back over this, I realise now, that in taking the two photos I had flicked back into what I was trying to break away from: my ‘doing’ the task, instead of about my ‘being’ in the moment, and capturing it. But in not capturing other photo opportunities, yes I had broken away from ‘doing’ the task, but neither was I ‘being’ in the moment (or stopping to capture it). Further along, when I needed to stop, I couldn’t because now I had traffic behind me, and the road was such that I could not safely pull over.  So now I was pushed to speed up from my leisurely pace and continue on. So that is what I did.

My focus was on my ‘doing’ instead of on my ‘being’

It all makes me reflect on life. Sometimes there are warning signs of hazards ahead, or maintenance in progress, and other times, it’s a complete surprise, like coming out of a bend, or not seeing a concealed driveway.
Sometimes we’ve seen the potholes, the craters, whatever they be, and we’ve filled them in with something, but that’s only temporary, not a complete solution.
And so I’m discovering the importance of the ‘STOP’. To choose to take a stop when I want to, instead of being forced into a stop, because I need to. Afterall, it’s better to ‘refresh’ than to ‘resuscitate’.

Choose The STOP: It’s better to ‘refresh’ than to ‘resuscitate’

Now that piece was actually written over a year ago, in January of 2024.
The importance of ‘The STOP’ has continued to be a mission in progress this past year, but with a few 3 night stays away, and a number of day long road trips, I’m quite content with where it’s at.

I think the most important part is learning to recognise what you need, how often you need it, and to plan ahead for that, so that it’s you making the choice to get that regular time to relax, refresh and renew, ensuring that you dont ever get to the point of needing resuscitation.