CHANGE YOUR SCENERY - Brittlestar’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue #44
UK Comedian, Writer. Singer and Social Media Superstar Sooz Kempner is this week’s guest on the Really Great Podcast. You can find it wherever you get your podcasts.
CHANGE YOUR SCENERY
It’s been a big week for my family.
My Mom and Dad spent the week at a local hotel while they had some bathroom renovations done. They stayed in a lovely suite and, from what I could tell, seem to enjoy their time there… even though it was a big upheaval without question (I mean, they are super old).
My Dad has some serious health issues and my Mom is his 24/7 caregiver. So, despite being taken care of very well in the hotel, it was no carefree holiday. There was little R&R.
That said, it all seems to have worked out. Their bathroom is practically finished and looks great.
However, one of the benefits I hadn’t foreseen from this week was by having my parents in a different setting it made all the things that need some more attention more evident and it also highlighted some good things we were unaware of (eg. My Dad is basically a Jackie Stewart with his walker… uh, Vin Diesel/Fast & Furious for those under… 50?).
By taking them out of their regular surroundings, it shifted the focus entirely upon them as individuals (strengths, weaknesses, concerns) and unshackled them from their regular environment.
It provided clarity.
I thought about that again on Saturday as I washed down a delicious pub sandwich with a pint of Tennents with Shannon. We went to a pub we rarely frequent. It’s about half an hour out of town.
I thought about how when her and I go somewhere that is not our regular environment (eg. our house) we suddenly just become us in the world/wild. We revert back to just individuals and not everything we have to do or places we normally sit.
I realize I’m basically describing the benefits of a vacation here but I think it doesn’t even need to be as grand as that.
Try going somewhere for lunch you’ve never gone. Try checking out a store/museum/park that you don’t normally go to. Anything.
Change your scenery every now and then.
When the scenery changes, the focus is all on you. What do you want to change? What do you want to maintain? What do you want to celebrate?
I know this sounds a bit hokey but… it’s kind of exciting to see yourself as this independent autonomous thing separate from your surroundings.
It’s kind of empowering.
Author's parents change scenery by sitting on floor