And Now To Good News


We met. A band of individuals. Some of us feeling a little wounded by life. We were weary about the world of news. Some of us had turned it off, others sat with down turned mouth as the media painted the world in bleak colours.

We met in a very cute church hall in a sleepy Cheshire village. The location was intentional. A mini retreat, an idyllic oasis. A place to test the limits of our comfort zones. Another place. Just up the road but far enough from home.

We did some things together. We shared lunch. Over the story telling, the chatting and the washing up we became something more than individuals. We might call it a collective.


The brief was to chat about good news. To listen to others stories, to seek out good news in the world and to represent it in crocheted stitch.

As I stitched together the circles which each person made I was struck by a few things which I thought it would be interesting to discuss.

Despite there being no lead in this direction over half of those who created a piece did a piece about nature. I'm interesting in how nature and  our idea of good news might be bed fellows. I'll call this bit "Why Is Nature Good News?"

The second thing I noted was that the section of the installation which has more personal news grew as a result of this brief. I'll call this bit "Getting Personal".

Why Is Nature Good News?

The pieces people made were about spring. A changing season. The start of new life. Unless the planet goes into total melt down we might expect to see it every year. It probably wouldn't be note worthy on the news. It might get a little mention on the weather. Yet it popped up in so many of the pieces. The frogs returning to the garden, crocuses, daffodils and a piece about the joys of being in nature. People might call me daft if I asked why spring and nature were so important to  so many people and yet nature is very often under valued, squeezed out or eradicated. We might find it hard to justify a walk in nature, opening the door to step into the garden to see the flowers or watch the frogs. We might find it hard to justify why a supermarket shouldn't be built on a nature spot. Overpriced junk food all under one roof and with plenty of parking is more important to us than a stream or a pond a wildflower meadow or a piece of scrubland. Yet our whole person seems to yearn for and value some connection with nature. I used to go for walks when I was younger and almost challenge nature. I'd sit by a tree and say come on then nature, be profound, change my life, change me, make me one with you. Of late I've realised that we are at our best when realise that we are nature. There is no need for change. We start from a place of connectivity with nature and the programming we get as kids moving into adulthood tells us that nature is one thing and we are another. When we dig in the dirt, walk, run, cycle, swim, sit outside we don't have to become one with it. We already are part of it. By harming the planet we cut ourselves too. Not in some long term way but right here right now. When we try to walk in harmony with everything we share the universe with we heal ourselves as much a we heal the planet. Another argument for distancing ourselves from nature might be that its all a bit hippy tree hugger to feel that we are part of it.  I once interviewed a group of ex servicemen in Salford. We were asking them about allotments. One very down to earth (that's an interesting phrase in itself when you consider all this but I must try not to get side tracked) chap said that growing gave you a sense of self providence. They were all well aware that helping things to grow helped them too. Not just in terms of putting food in your belly but in terms of how they felt about themselves and the world. They were active partners with nature. From the person who helps plants grow to the person who meditates in a field perhaps its all about connection with the wider world. The only difference might be in the way we articulate that.

There were two other pieces which related to good news around technology. They weren't however news of a new supercar or release of all singing all dancing new mobile phone. One was a piece about an organisation who were making bags from old carrier bags, fitting them with solar panels and giving them to African school children. The children could then use the gathered energy to light their night time homework. The other was about scientists working with plants which can produce energy. Both might be seen to be about using technology to work with nature rather than alienating us from it. As part of the initial discussions we also talked through good news stories from news sources like "Positive News". Several told of positive things people were doing to help the environment.

Getting Personal


It seems that people find positivity in those they choose to hold most close to them. One lady shared a story about their child and the things they are sharing together. Another told of a friend who had encouraged them to face illness and swim again. Another of her 70th birthday with those she loves. Another about a customer who they serve each day.  I don't want to get too wordy on this one but to suggest an idea. If we find good news and comfort in those we love how might our world be enhanced if we expanded the love we have for those  close to us as wide as we could. Don't preserve love for a selected few people or things but try to compassionately expand it to everything. How might that make us feel? If the personal in a way became impersonal in a good way.


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