Things I did instead of doing my tax
Procrastination station
I’ve spent some of my early writing mornings this fortnight doing my tax, a long overdue job with the urgency of a deadline this week or else incur a fee. I am not sure why I enjoy pushing deadlines to the very limit, but alas, I seem to quite enjoy the habit. Prior to that, instead of doing my tax I was wafting around the internet in my ‘spare time’ reading things like this, a fabulous article about ‘the defiant women who demanded a place on the walking track.’ Can you imagine a time in the not-too-distant-past when it was seen as inappropriate for women to go bushwalking?
Another thing I did while I was meant to be doing my tax: I read a poem about time at 6am the other morning, Time thinks of Time by Jane Hirshfield, while the currawongs called mournfully and the sky was a pale blue grey. The poem is about the murmurings of space-time that have been discovered by scientists. About the passing of time. About the unknowable-ness of time. About the way time warps and wefts. Fascinating, mind-bending.
And then, instead of doing my tax, there was this:
You know, of all the rocks in the vastness of anoxic space and dark matter, there's one rock that we know of, and we're on it. And the odds against us existing on a world that's infused with creativity and regeneration and what I think is, you know, the miraculous fact of organic life, you don't have to be very sentimental to cop to the weirdness of that. That's so absurd in my mind as to be sacred.
A quote from Tim Winton, during his brilliant interview on Read This with Michael Williams. Last fortnight I was inspired by Berry Liberman’s interview with the CEO of Bush Heritage Australia Rachel Lowry on the Wisdom and Action podcast, this fortnight Tim Winton took the cake. He was interviewed about his new book, Juice, but also about himself as activist. You may be aware of his documentary Ningaloo Nyinggulu on ABC (and if not, why don’t you scurry over there quick and watch that, instead of doing your tax… wait, I bet you’ve already done yours, haven’t you!?) a fierce reminder of what we are losing due to our adoration of burning fossil fuels. My favourite Tim Winton that was not listed in the podcast’s reading list is a book described as a ‘landscape memoir’ called Island Home, which I wrote about here.
Other things…
After writing about making time to read I found this little essay at my local bookshop by Robert Macfarlane and bought it. A reflection on the giving and receiving of books, and those which have made an impact on his life. An interesting read. Books do have a lasting impact! I’m also a complete sucker for little zine-like essays printed in this format!
I haven’t shared a soundscape for a while but recorded quite a few when we were hiking in gariwerd / the Grampians last school holidays. Here’s one of my favourites, recorded near the waterfalls of Gar:
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This coming fortnight I am bracing myself against the incoming festive season, trying to decide what to make for my annual sew-a-thon for my nieces and nephews (aged 1.5-9, any ideas?), walking lots in preparation for a big hike at the end of this month, trying to find a good book to read (can’t settle on anything at the moment) and…
… that’s quite enough for now.
Until next time, travel light.
Lucinda x