Freedom

This Daily comes straight from my journal - Thursday 18 February 2021. Written at 8pm as the sun went down, sitting at a piece of paradise, Port Elliot, South Australia.

Self portrait 18 February 2021.

The thing with freedom—the real deal—is that there’s so much of it. That means no need to rush. There’s always more, unless you die of course. Then again, that could be the ultimate freedom.

I have had an amazing time this week in Port Elliot. Tomorrow morning I’ll clean the apartment, pack up my belongings and head home. Have I gotten as far with my writing as I thought I would? No. Am I surprised? No. Am I scolding myself? No!

I am grateful for every crashing wave I took the time to stop and watch. I documented what was around me with my photography. I met lovely people, and dogs of course, on my walks. I slept the hours I wanted to sleep and kept the hours I wanted to keep. I made new connections with London Writers’ Hour. I researched memoiry-type stuff. I even bought two books I’ll probably not read because that would be a first if I did. But there’s hope, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them.

On Daily Practice

I did get some writing done. I may have only written hundreds, not thousands of words, but I learned that picking up where you left off is a lot easier when it’s a daily practice.

I hope I can confidently say I began more than one daily practice this week that will become a habit, good ones. What I know for sure is that I didn’t waste time with any seeming nothingness woven in and out of these things. Not even my time spent making acquaintance with my new feathered friend, the local magpie went unappreciated. It was purposeful.

Made friends and spent a fair amount of time with this happy guy.

On Alcohol

I had two coffees and endless cups of tea each day. Last night I had a glass of wine to finish off the bottle that Dave and I started on the weekend. I’m super proud of myself for that limited amount of alcohol, not because drinking is a bad thing but because I know full well that I become too relaxed - aka I lose motivation - with booze in my system.

Now there’s the healthy kind of relaxed—that is—the state that is not stressed, and then there’s the unhealthy kind that stops you from being the person you know you essentially are. The Other Sue McKay has been telling Sue McKay that for a long time.

There’s a time and a place for everything. For me, being creative is an everyday thing and I am looking to fuel that creativity this year. Port Elliot and cups of tea have helped.

Now I am leaving this sunset to go inside and make one.