Letter to Monty 31

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Falling down mountains



Dear Montagu Don,

'The bows of the warriors are broken but those who stumbled are armed with strength '

Stumbling along from day to day. I tripped up again today - all concentration and one momentary lapse and a mistake is made.

Sacrifice - the prophet talked of sacrifice - I have to accept my stumbling and the stumbling of others.

I have just watched the incredible journey of those with dementia from lucidity to a closed down fragmentary world. The beauty was in the simple lucid moments - more intense for their rarity. That is love - that is being armed with strength.



27/4/12 I saw you wading in the pond on GW. I may not make the Hay Festival this year - but if I do I have a question. You mentioned in a recent article promoting your new book Gardening at Longmeadow - that your garden has now become like 'work' for you, so to escape you go to your hill farm. That must be difficult - because gardens are a place of refuge - does this mean you have another garden being birthed in your heart and mind somewhere else - or is there enough of Longmeadow that remains private ? You didn't seem tired of it last night, and I too loved the lime walk with the tulips and wallflowers, beautiful. And thank you for the encouragement of keeping your stumbling with the primula name for the final cut.




Back to stumbling - I am to walk the three peaks of Ben Nevis, Scaffel Pike and Snowdon in less than twenty four hours on the 23rd and 24th June. At this point it seems an impossible dream, what with my 51 years and dodgy right knee. But step by step I hope to get there. Before asking for any sponsorship for the Fishermen's Mission in Newlyn I will see how well I do on the preparation. Even if I stumble and fall I am armed with strength, and that applies to every area of life.

                                      




God bless Monty.
                                                    
Paul

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