Page 25 - Have Faith

Day 28 Talking to friends is the best therapy...

The Chat... Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Just last night I got into one of the best con- minority in this one. Looking at progress,
versations I have had for a very long time. technology, the fast paced life style, the wor-
Firstly, the company was brilliant. My friend, ries we put upon ourselves, I wondered to
Bill from Australia, with very much the same myself was it really worth it? Was it worth the
interests as myself, sat in our local pub and stress? What do we accomplish? It seems
talked for hours over everything and nothing. to me that by trying to make things easier and
It was one of those nights where you walk more comfortable we actually make things so
away from it feeling very privileged to have much worse. This was very strong in one of
good friends. When I was thinking about writ- our conversations when we spoke about the
ing ‘Have Faith’ this morning, that chat would- nomadic life styles of aboriginal people Bill
n’t leave my head. A couple of the subjects was familiar with and the Masaii tribes I had
we were talking about were just running over encountered in Kenya. No money, no bills,
and over in my mind, so I’ve decided to throw no stresses, no bosses watching what time
all of our conversations into a bag, shake it they role into work, nothing. Just existing.
up a bit, pour it out on to the table and see Living off the land, using natural resources to
what comes out. So, here goes… One of the build their homes, spending all of their time
great bits was the love of Surfing. Both of us with their families. One thing does become

grew up liking the same characters, waves, apparent, they do not consider themselves
beaches etc. Both of us have surfed, both poor. Yes, they have very little, if not no
were abysmal at it but loved it anyway. The money but they have everything they need.
more we spoke, the more we discovered we Isn’t that what we work for in the ‘modern’
both had a love for the natural world. From world? Do we not strive to earn what we
the sea, we spoke about our adventures need to survive? It just seems we’ve gone
around the world. He told me about how he about it in a very complicated way, a very
loved the Outback of Australia, seeing the stressful way and that is now the way we
Kangaroos, Snakes, Crocodiles, the amazing need to do things. But I do believe, the tribal
landscapes and just being there away from people around the world still get it right. Just
civilisation. I spoke about my times in the my opinion. The one big lesson I recognised
army in Kenya, loving the wildlife, the beauti- last night was that of friendship. It is some-
ful cultures, again, the wonderful landscapes. thing we all need. Something none of us can
We spoke about snakes, comparing deadly do without. So, the real focus of my reflection
species we’d encountered, we spoke about is one of celebrating our friends. How much
spiders and insects, and we spoke about do you know about your friends? Have a chat
birds of prey. It was a wonderful conversa- with them over a coffee or a glass of wine,
tion. At the end of the night I was left with a find out what makes them tick. I guarantee
strange feeling about how humanity may just once you do, you will feel so much closer to
have got it wrong. I do feel I may be a big them. It truly is a great feeling.

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