Positivity Plus

Positivity Plus

With WWOOFing it's really interesting; every place you visit is so varied and one can never be quite sure of what to expect and how to react. My first reaction to most places I visit is to get stuck in with work. It seems to be working out pretty well. I'm not quite sure why I do it, maybe it gives me time to suss people and places out or something, but I do like having something to do. Another thing I've noticed is that as soon as I arrive or meet people my first thought is nearly always : I preferred the other place. Which is quite strange as I always thought I was open minded and obviously realize that it takes time to get to know and feel comfortable with people and places, maybe it's a first impression that most people have, and maybe it's because i'm not a massive fan of change, although having said that, for someone who doesn't like change that much, I sure change stuff a lot, maybe I do like change....?

Anyway, this place sounded quite interesting, in my WWOOFing book. Hosts are given about three or four sentences to either describe themselves, the work, the place, whatever and from that, one chooses where to go. Generally, there's a lot more to the people and places than are in the book... (like this place didn't mention rabbits... Or the fact they eat them (or plan to)) I picked this place as it mentioned yoga, circus training and Mongolian round houses, or yurts as they're otherwise known. They also said they had three kids under seven, and I thought, well, I've not spent that much time with kids since I've been in NZ, it might be interesting.

The last place I was at was a beautiful house in the process of being sort of renovated, with a lovely big garden; 3 acres or something, a docile, quiet dog, two lovely quiet and respectful people, it was just so pleasant being there and working there. I loved all the gardening I got to do, and just the simple, quiet way of life that is found across much of what I've experienced in NZ. I arrived at my current hosts house at the same time as another visitor to the sounds of a vibrant loud sort of household, I didnt know where to start, but almost immediately had the urge to tidy the living area (which I did, there was rice and toys and all sort over the floor!) I had the choice of sleeping out in the house truck thingy or inside the house sharing a room with Susie, the eldest, who's six years old. I'm not quite sure how I ended up in the lower bunk of her bed that night, as I'm pretty sure everything inside me already knew I wanted to be out of the house and have space to myself as I have at every other place. I think maybe I felt it would be easier for the family if I was inside... Anyway Susie goes to bed 2 hours before me and wakes up an hour or so before me, around 6am (without the use of an alarm) and quietly closes the door being her and goes to the living area to play. I usually get up an hour or so later at which point one of the three is usually crying and Hannah the mother, wakes me up to do yoga, which I volunteered for. It's been really nice doing yoga in the morning before breakfast again. The food is quite simple, like oat/rice/rye porridge, homemade breads and soups and vegetables, organic food cooked on their fireplace in the living area; it's all delicious. The tasks I've been doing are different, although I've done some gardening-planting garlic- I've also been sanding and oiling the wooden bits for the yurt and helping out with the kids and tidying. I've never considered myself a particularly tidy person, I have spurts of tidiness, spring cleans and the like. Anyone who has seen photos of my bedroom would in fact testament to my untidy nature, untidy bedrooms are one thing, but I do enjoy a tidy living area, so I've spent countless times tidying what has to become mess in less than half the time it took me to get clean. I've not found it demoralizing. I guess life is full of cycles, you can't get demoralized by them, or you'd be demoralized by life...

All I can say is, that I have a totally new found respect for my parents and in fact all parents, and anyone who wants to be a parent, just wow. I think in my mind, because I was no doubt a perfect child in every way who never had tantrums or cried, I just presumed all children were like that ( other than the ones on supernanny). But kids are like major hard work! They cry about.... EVERYTHING. on average about every ten minutes someone has had a cry about something. They can be smelly, they poo and wee everywhere, they whine endlessly, make ceaseless amounts of mess, have obscene amounts of energy, are too loud, annoying at times. But bizarrely, you can't hate, and I don't find I even dislike them... When they smile it's even more contagious than grown up smiles, they're so strange and interesting, cute and amusing, it's fun explaining things to them, showing them new things and playing with them. I mean, I think I can safely say, I never want three under the age of seven, but this experience has confirmed that maybe one would be ok. Just for the experience. As some of you may know, I was debating having none due to the overpopulation of the planet, but my one can just replace me when I die. The point is sort of moot as I'm so far from that anyway.

I do feel like I need the space sometimes, but the evening time when they've all gone to bed provides that, and I can just be happy that I'm not a parent and I do have this time to myself. I've spent it reading some of the books the family have and have just finished one I found very interesting called the vortex, mother would probably steer clear of it, or burn it, considering it 'new agey', but basically, it's just helped me to feel even better about myself. Which is weird, because I feel pretty good about myself most of the time anyway... It's all about the power of positive thinking, and it's odd, because I've been into that even since I was at school, my technique for passing my G.C.S.E's was 'go in with a positive attitude, come out with a positive result' it more or less worked, I probably would have done a bit better with some revision. Some of the techniques the book describes about being happy (centering yourself in the vortex) are things that I just do. Like thinking about happy stuff all the time! And when you're sad write down things that have gone well or do make you happy, and in fact you should do that anyway. And I do all this! Not all the time but mostly. As some of my more interested readers may have noticed, I've been getting a little bit wrapped up in stuff that makes me angry, like racism, and homophobia and animal rights. But basically, I shouldn't worry, I shouldn't add to what I see as problems by either my actions or thoughts, even thinking negative thoughts about things is giving them attention that you don't want to. So don't. Which suits me, I'd much rather think of fluffy rabbits and rainbows than the state of the world, and now I feel like I can again!

So life is good, I'm happy with whatever I bring my way, it's all new experiences, everything and everyone is good. Rabbits are and always will be, especially good.