May is always a huge month, in part because the weather turns warm (if we’re lucky, which we have been) and the garden explodes into life. This imposes a core theme (“gardening month”) which comprises reseeding the lawn and refreshing the borders and shrubbery. Typically there are a fair few things that need to be repaired after the harsh winter months too. Looking back, it seems like the whole of May disappeared into a black hole of gardening and groundwork. The fruits of my labour are yet to pay off, hopefully that will come in the summer months.
Two other foundational activities have made May 2020 notable though. On 1st May 2020 I launched this website and began the development process. It very much remains a work in progress, with many of the cosmetic touches still to come alongside worthwhile content. At this point it is “bare bones” and yet, I am pleased it has taken shape. It is a project I have had in mind for a while and it’s always satisfying to deliver on your goals. It has also motivated me to execute on other objectives such as the development of my social media channels. It is worth reiterating than I have not been furloughed in May (or in any other months for that matter). The described activities have played out alongside full-time work.
Regardless, the other event of significance was the launch of my post-doctoral diet. Ever since I finished my PhD one thing has rolled into another and those things have typically challenged me to my limits. There is no perfect time to launch a life altering diet but some times are better than others. The advent of C-19 has provided a valuable bit of breathing space to enact long fermenting aspirations. Getting back into my usual shape is now a top priority. I trialled my diet recently and lost 9lbs in two week; it’s a great start that I will seek to consolidate throughout coming months.
Overall then it has been a very good May. Whilst I haven’t had much of a social life in the traditional embodied sense many new people have come into my life. I have also re-established a few old relationships and am excited about directions they could go in post-lockdown. Thus, during this dark unfolding epoch I have been lucky enough to move forward in ways that are meaningful. I hope it has been the same for you…
Dr Martin James 