That old chestnut

I've mentioned this saying several times on this blog, but it is one that I come back to time and again. It is:

'Comparison is the thief of joy'

When I first heard it I wasn't really sure what it was on about. Then I gave it a bit of thought. Then I got it.

We are easily persuaded that what is going on elsewhere is better than what we are experiencing in the here and now. The birds that are being seen. The moths that are being trapped. The weather. People having a good time. You get my drift. What you have set out before you can then lessen in quality and shrink in meaning - if you allow it to do so. After having been on a short holiday with my wife last week I was planning on going down to Dungeness for 10 days, staying at the Bird Observatory. Everything was lined up. At the last moment I pulled out. I still don't know why, but I didn't have the drive, the oomph, the wanting to. So I stayed at home. I then decided to book into the said observatory for a three week stay from mid-September. But the observatory was full for the best part of a week during that time. And it is 'all or nothing' with me, so I decided on 'nothing'. In lieu of that came up with the Uberpatch 'Meteorological Autumn' Project (UMAP) which I mentioned a post or two back.

What has this got to do with the saying at the top of this post? Well, since my no-show at DBO I've been living in a parallel universe. Every time something has turned up or happened down on the shingle I've sort of thought 'I could have seen that' - a Tamarisk Peacock, a Black-V Moth, c3,000 Sandwich Terns in a spectacular gathering, multiple Honey Buzzards - but then I've quickly reminded myself that had I actually gone then my UMAP plan that is coming up - three months of discovery - would not be a thing. And I've not looked forward to something so much in years. Simple pleasures for a simple mind maybe, but I've made my bed and I intend to luxuriate in it.

So, I wish nothing but unbridled joy to my Dungeness friends - big falls, vis mig mornings and rarities - while in response I will not compare and rob myself of the simple joys that are coming up.

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