On Renewal

This is a response to the theme or 'renewal' that Lloyd Davis started as a collaborative topic. Treat it as an invitation to respond and contribute in your own way.

I suggested the theme of ‘renewal’ with very little thought. The concept came very instinctively from the time of year we are in, the recent changing political landscape and some semi-dormant pagan leanings.

Already fresh shoots are pushing up through the frozen winter soil ready to be bluebells and snowdrops.

So, where am I with my renewal?

At the turn of the year someone asked the typical question of what new year resolutions we were making. Honestly I had not put any thought into it, but said I wanted to “get more active politically”, or something like that. I’ve been on marches, always voted, but apart from that it’s been minimal engagement, a bit of clicktivisim here and there.

I decided to start local and went along to my ward’s newly established local branch meeting. And then a constituency branch meeting. Suddenly I had a new group of people to relate to and a headful of power relationships and agendas. A week later I was helping man a stall in the high street to campaign for a better funded healthcare system.

There are many more areas of my life that could do with some renewal, and you can probably find some of your own. It doesn’t have to a major effort, maybe be a simple act to relate with a friend again.

Let’s use the vigour of the coming spring to help recommit to action again. Move from passive to active — that’s the transformative power of renewal for me.