Viral Spain 16th December 2021.

 

Viral Spain Blog 16^th December 2021.

Do you talk to your hairdresser? If you are a woman this is a silly question. From my limited experience of women's hairdressing, that is half the reason to go there! However, to say the least, I have a very varied experience of haircuts, from being forced to have one as a teenager (aspiring to Rolling Stone 'styles' ) to these days quite liking them.

Yesterday's pre-Christmas trim was actually enjoyable. After three or four years I know the barber quite well. He is a portly 40ish bald local man who I knew had a tale or two to tell. Feeling my feet more in Spanish I decided to launch into conversation. His comment on the cold mornings set us off and I told him of my cold cold bike ride some 19Km. along the valley on Tuesday morning (for my spanish class as it happens). He was impressed, 'not like you are a spring chicken nor nothing' he said (roughly translated ) so I told him how exercise and meditation help keep me from ageing too much. Mentioning meditation was the key to his world of strange experiences. He sees himself as meditating all day as he cuts hair. He said he has amazing powers of concentration which started when he was nine with an extraordinary experience of disappearing into a source of light. These went on for three or four years but nowadays he simply has experiences of disappearing into objects! He was speaking in a heavy local accent through a mask. I questioned him pretty carefully and think I got this correctly. Maybe it was just his pet mouse disappearing!

You never know what you are going to learn in Orgiva. It is a place where every third foreigner practices some esoteric method of personal development but I did not expect to find Orgiva's alternative soul in the hairdressers.

I was just looking at Orgiva Massive face book community page (seeking the ultimate in alternative practices with which to entrance you) but read of the death of a Quaker Friend. I am saddened by her death even though this great lady had been in and out of hospital and care homes and I suspect was ready to leave us. Apparently she had a peaceful end with her daughter and grandson beside her. I guess we all hope for that and as one well wisher commented on face book it cannot be taken for granted these days.

Inevitably for us oldies this brings up thoughts of mortality, especially to one who is 69 tomorrow. Not so old I tell myself . I am just about the oldest in my men's group but some way from oldest in my bio dance group. I suppose I might have another twenty years. Each bit of reflection, each delve into consciousness brings me to a greater determination to make the most of my last decades. I can't recall if I have mentioned a final afternoon of my last men's group training looked at life purpose. I am now thinking I do not need a great project, a new business or whatever rather a growing awareness of how good my life is already. I have just taken a cup of coffee out onto our terrace, enjoyed the cool air and the recently risen sun, the large Jakaranda tree and the very blue sky. Inside is my lovely wife, emotional and physical warmth, and our lovely children are travelling many many miles to join us next week.

So despite Covid and brexit and global warming lets all do our best to be grateful for what we have and strive to make the world a better place especially for those who have least.

Merry Christmas, felices fiestas.