Iona Winter

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to blog about. Like today. But I’ve promised both of us (you dear readers and myself) that I would write at least once a week (in this format). And being one for setting the bar at an acceptable level (aka not writing drivel for the sake of it) I find some weeks, that selecting a topic can be a task and a half. The same is true for ‘The Novel’ rewrite…erhmm.

What should I write about today? ‘Views,’ I said, while looking out the window. There you have it – Views – huh?

Thinking more deeply about the topic at hand, it generates some internal (in my head) discussion around what I see, and how I see things. Both are relevant in my daily life, and also as I sleep – if you include the things I see playing out on the widescreen of my eyelids! Trust me, this is something that generates a great deal of internal dialogue at times. Namely first thing in the morning when one is required to leap out of bed, brave the cold and get ready for work.

I’ve said (many times before) that I am grateful for stunning views of nature, and for what I observe. Observations that are very useful to pop into my creative writing. But I’m not sure I’ve spoken specifically about viewpoints. Or maybe I have—if so please humour me.

I must say I’ve come across some pretty opinionated people in my lifetime, and occasionally have needed to walk away, to save us both. Save us? From what? To avoid conflict I guess, or to make a point, or to simply disengage from something which had the potential to make one (or both) of us, extremely unwell. Said people, may have also experienced me as opinionated. I’ve got to own my part too…I know.

Discussion (with said people), can be truly awful. BUT sometimes it’s wonderfully insightful and expands my own viewpoint. Usually, it gets me thinking about HOW I view certain things. AND THEN I need to ask myself WHY I do that. Some people (I realise) don’t have the ability of self-reflection and I feel for them, locked into their worlds of rhetoric and rigidity.

We live in a world where many opinions, views and perspectives are foisted upon us. It may feel as though we are powerless to question, reject, or disagree with some of these ideas. How come we’ve made it so hard to explore beyond the parameters of our views? The answer is obvious, we’ve probably done it to our own dear selves. Fear is the driver of that vehicle I reckon.

So today I’m going to hold this thought. It’s okay to question. Yeah, I already knew that one lady, you’ve said it before. No, hang on a minute. It’s okay to question MY views on things in MY life. Ah, question myself you say?  Yep. That one.