A former colleague from my radio days now teaches journalism at a nearby college. He recently wrote in a blogpost how he wished he could ban the word "unprecedented" from news bulletins at the moment because it's used so much it's lost its meaning.
That's true enough, but I'm hard pushed to think of a better word to sum up what we're living through at the moment.
Another observation you hear a hell of a lot is that in the last few weeks our world has shrunk. But again, it's so true it's hard to think of a better way of expressing the fact that... while I've never been part of the jetset... my journeys are now limited to a once a day walk and the occasional visit to the supermarket. The rest of my time, the world has shrunk to the size of my house.
Those walks are all that are keeping me sane, I reckon... and typically, while we're all locked up and locked down, the weather has been largely glorious. (You can guarantee that as soon as the lockdown is lifted, it'll start chucking it down.)
We've only lived in this village for the last eight months, and most of the time has been so busy I haven't been able to explore the area as well as I had my previous village. The lockdown has at least offered us the opportunity for exploration, and what we've discovered has been truly beautiful. This little clearing we found in the woods is the sort of place I'd have played for hours as a kid... there was even a rope swing for Sam.
And, the pièce de résistance, this rusty old motorbike stuck in the dried up mud. Straight out of the pages of a Boy's Own adventure.
Just as I'm getting to see the world in a very different way during the lockdown, I'm also hearing songs in ways I never heard them before. Take this old Pete Seeger song, stolen largely from The Book of Ecclesiastes. I always enjoyed the melody and harmonies in version by The Byrds, but the lyrics took on a completely new meaning when I heard this on the radio the other day. It was as though I was hearing it for the first time...
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose
Under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose
Under heaven
A time to build up
A time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose
Under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose
Under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rain, a time of sow
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace
I swear it's not too late
This too shall pass.
Yes unprecedented is the go-to word to describe the times we're living in but getting boring now. Been using unparalleled instead but not as strong really.
ReplyDeleteWhat great pictures - We too are lucky to live beside a wood, so a real positive, but of course being an accutely empathetic person I suffer guilt for being one of the lucky ones who actually has such a great resource (and a garden to boot).
Crikey that song could almost have been written for the times we are living through - Funny how you suddenly hear lyrics with new ears when they become apt for the times. Used to be the the preserve of the lost love/breakup song, but now it applies to a much broader spectrum.
I used the phrase, times we are living through, far too much there but you get the gist - Was on a roll.
Delete"She Don't Care About Time" , written by Gene Clark, is the B-side and worth a listen.
ReplyDeleteRoger "Jim" McGuinn was connected with American folk group The Limeliters whose recording of "Turn Turn Turn" came out before Pete Seeger released his version.
McGuinn also arranged and played on Judy Collins' cover of the song which appeared on her 3rd album. That same album had "The Bells of Rhymney" which had music by Pete Seeger and words from a poem about Welsh miners during the 1926 General Strike and a Welsh mining disaster. The Byrds recorded it too but cleaned up the lyrics so that one line read: "Throw the vandals in court, Say the bells of Newport" when it should have read "Throw the bastards in court". Strong stuff.
So, the World's smaller than you think it is. And I'll get me coat...
Great to see the pics from your walks, I love seeing other people's localities and imagining I'm walking there too, so thanks.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great song and to re-read the lyrics here now indeed gives it new meaning.
My current philosophy is very much "one day at a time".