My mind was wandering as I took myself off for a little paddle board trip up the atoll yesterday. Remember. Always go upwind to start so coming home is easier. (I won’t go into wind shifts here thank you very much!)  But if you go further than what your breakfast fuel tank holds, coming back, even with the wind behind, is a real effort, only remedied by instant gorging on cheese and crackers.

It was a beautiful day. The rhythm I set for paddling required no conscious thought, letting my mind meander off to other places. 

My teeny tiny world just feels lighter this week. The news that a vaccine for COVID is on the near horizon and the election shenanigans in the USA delivering a hopeful result, means I’m much more optimistic for the future. I projected forward to a year from now and felt much more positive about what footprint us humans will be leaving behind. It won’t be a perfect shape. I do believe it will be a better shape. For most people.

I then replayed some history that is solely age related. There were a whole heap of opportunities and possibilities that came into Dave and I’s life, purely because we were born in a certain era. Here’s a non exhaustive random list.

1. Grants for further education 
2. Housing benefit so as a student, if you’re rent was more than £12.50 (I think) a week, you could claim the overspend back from Maggie’s handbag. Plus if you weren’t living in you digs during the holidays, that money came back too. Nice. 
3. Unemployment benefit – dole money. You could sign on in the holidays
4. The introduction of budget airlines – £1.99 flights to Dublin Prague Geneva etc
5. Explosion of travel possibilities further afield  – fly for 6 hours for reasonable money and be in a totally different culture
6. No major wars that have seriously impacted us
7. Buying a house for sensible money, like £30k or £40k and with the housing boom, be able to watch it double or triple in value
8. The speed and development of technology. What’s happened since the mid 90’s is astounding
9. Full size chocolate bars. A penguin or an orange / mint  club from your Granny were of the appropriate size and thickness
10. The beauty that is the NHS. I’ve had my fair share of money from this ‘free at the point of entry’ institution. Thank you!
11. The export of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
12. The fact you can start drawing down on your personal pension at 55. We like this now we’re old

Do I have something deep and meaningful to say to summarise these thoughts? No not really. I’ll just continue on with my happy little life knowing I have had some ups and downs, but the up’s do come out seriously on top. 

And on a boaty note, the ship comes in on Wednesday. There hasn’t been one for two weeks. There could be fresh provisions. That’s an up. And after that a new atoll, further east – Tahanea or Makemo or Ile d’Hao. A bit more geography research folks.😀 Happy Saturday.