An Inner Light

I enjoyed doing the sound balance on Radio 4's Midweek programme this morning. I found it a really good listen, and all of the guests had interesting things to say. One, David Charles Manners, told us how he travelled to the Himalayas many years ago and had a chance encounter with a Nepalese shaman which changed his life. He took part in ancient initiation ceremonies which included spending 24 hours with a newly-dead body, which he had to physically touch for all of that time and sleep beside. What he most appreciated at the end of that particular experience was that he still had the ability to breathe, whereas the dead body had no breath. That, and other very difficult and frightening parts of his initiation, left him with a vivid appreciation of life and a desire to make the most of every moment of every day of his own life. His story really struck a chord in me, and how my own dark and trying times in the past have made me thankful for all the good things in my life. I'm sure others have found the same, that coming through bad times creates an inner strength which somehow makes the suffering worthwhile.

When I left work at 4 o'clock, I wandered off the beaten track exploring quiet back streets in London for a while before heading home. I noticed this lovely yellow Rose of Sharon (hypericum calycinum) growing in someone's front garden on the walk up from the station. The way the sun caught it gave the impression of an inner light shining out from deep within the flower.