#5
All posts by ckponderings
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#1
Chudleigh Knighton at War
With a population of a little over 1000 people, Chudleigh Knighton is a quiet and peaceful Devon village in the early 21st Century. Turn the clock back a century, and it was a smaller, quieter place, where everyone knew everyone else.
The impact of a death as a result of the First World War would have been keenly felt, therefore. So how would two deaths have impacted the village? What about three?
The small graveyard of St Paul’s Church at the heart of the village is the last resting place of three soldiers from that time: Private Thomas Willcocks, Private Albert Gale and Guardsman Alfred Moist.
Their stories tell us as much about life in the countryside at the turn of the last century as any textbook.
Click on the images above to learn more about their stories.
The book Death and Service unravels the lives for more than 250 men and women laid to rest in the cemeteries and graveyards of Somerset.
Quirky
Be who you are. Your quirks, your perceived flaws are what make you individual and that is key.
There is little point in following the crowd. Trying for confirm dampens your soul and spirit, lessening the essence of who you are. Celebrate your traits, they are you.
Moon
Sometimes it is not enough to be as much as you are. You need to dig a little deeper and be more than you thought you could be. Achievements are possible, but push harder, step further, breathe deeper and you will be what you want to be, what you need to be.
Life will win.
Whatever you do, however much you accomplish, life will always win out. No matter how much we screw up the planet, no matter how much procrastinating is done by those who hold the reins of power, life will find a way.
That’s not to say that life won’t continue without humanity, but in spite of it. There are always ways forward for Mother Nature, and she will rein supreme long after humanity has sealed its own fate.
There will be traces of us throughout eternity, snippets of our existence scarring the planet we have called home. She will run out of patience, however, and will demand recompense for the damage we have caused her, damage that cannot be overturned by nations and governments focused only on the next vote or voter.
Humanity will be as much of a footnote in the history of the world as the dinosaurs are and, in the millennia to come, those who replace us will wonder where it all went wrong, how and when we turned our back on something so precious.
Escape
Why spend time looking out of a window to see the world? Why not step outside and experience it for yourself?
It is an amazing place, with a whole explosion of wonders to enjoy. So take the first step, and see what life can bring you.
It may not always go to plan, but that’s part of the big adventure. Babies learn by doing things wrong, so try is yourself; let loose your childish side, and see what you can do.
Take the reins on a new life, and share your experiences with others. Not through the rose-tinted world of social media, but by meeting new people, sharing experiences with them, then reporting back on your achievements to your friends and loved ones.
We can become too staid, to set in our ways, hiding behind a comfort zone without risk. Unleash those shackles and set yourself free.
Build new friendships, gain a new sense of self, a new sense of confidence. You are brilliant and the world is yours for the taking!.
CKPonderingsToo 