Autumn melancholy

Since coming back from America in August it has been quite difficult to settle back in. Partly because of what I experienced over there stirring me up and partly because there are some moves afoot (all positive by the way) that means change is on the way. (I can’t say more than that at present.) And these factors have led me to feeling melancholy.

Many Welsh people have a tendency to being glass half empty people. Or perhaps more kindly there is a tendency to be melancholic. And I fit in to that category. I love the autumn and yet as many better writers have said before me, there is something about the season that appeals to my tendency to melancholy.

And it was in this frame of mind that I decided not to go to the gym at lunch time (I don’t need much of an excuse to avoid the gym to be honest, I just find it so boring) and instead decided to drive 5 minutes from the house to Stanton Fitzwarren Country Park.

Walking boots on and iPod on a Classical Chillout album I wandered off.


I had done 1 ½ circuits of the route that had taken my fancy, when the track that came on the iPod was the theme to the film Schindler’s List. If you have seen the film you will recall the beautiful violin solo. Such a haunting piece of music. It quite literally stopped me in my tracks and as I looked along the leaf strewn path, stretching in to the distance, with leaves falling from the trees, I recalled the scene in the film where the train containing Schindler’s workers approached the gates of Auschwitz with snow falling.

In a way this chimed with my melancholy – the feeling I’d gone on the walk for in the first place, to get away from.

But at the same time I had a real sense of God telling me all will be well.
I took a few photos on my phone and uploaded them to Facebook (as a way of getting them in to the blog. And a friend put the comment “Walks can renew the spirit and a great way to see Gods creations.” How true. Far better than staring at the walls of a gym.

I so want to share the news for it feels good. But I can’t so if you are of a praying disposition please pray for us. As I’ve said it is good news, nothing to worry about. But prayers would be good. And when I can share I will do so.