I believe dark times are seasonal. They don't last forever. Whilst still facing many challenges, I am delighted to say that we have had a week's respite, courtesy of my 89-year-old dad. Dad paid for a stay near St Nectan's Glen, Tintagel, Cornwall – and so I drove him, his sister, and my friend Penny to a week of luxury and natural bliss.

What I'd like to do is share some of the lessons I have learned from this last week. Tintagel is steeped in associated 'magic'. The Castle, in legend, is the place of King Arthur's conception. The power of the story of King Arthur has turned Tintagel into a magnet for tourists. But what can one do when the castle is closed - as it has been since October of 2018?

The impact on local businesses has been huge, but we discovered the real gems of Tintagel are the people, and they have a message for us. The four I'd like to have 'star' in this blog are Sarah, Grant, Edwina, and Lucy. These are their real names.

Sarah is the steward of St Nectan's Waterfalls – a truly magical place. She provides Wellington Boots for visitors so that they can get close to the waterfalls, but she suggested I go padding and promised a towel to dry my feet off. This was a much better proposition – and I had a wonderful experience in this 'holy' place.

Grant, ex-Army, has given his life to bees. He has 200 hives that produced 50 tons of honey last year! Honey has near magical properties too.

Edwina runs 'Vega' – a Vegan restaurant in Tintagel that gives half of its profits to animal charities.

And Lucy is one of several daughters in the family business that is the Tintagel Brewery (where they feed their Wagyu Cattle on beer! It would seem they are the most chilled cows on the planet!)

OK, why am I sharing this? The four have three things in common that just might be a message to all of us.

1) They have chosen lifestyle over money. St Nectan's Waterfalls, for example, makes no money – it goes back into improving this natural beauty spot. Edwina gives half back. There's magic in their 'largesse'.

2) They have chosen location over convenience. The falls are difficult to get to! This makes them even more magical.

3) They chose – no one else.

So I'm wondering... could you and I make some new choices that could improve our quality of life – even in the face of limiting circumstances?

I've been haunted by a line from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" now that I've returned: "There's a feeling I get when I look to the West, and my spirit is crying for leaving..." Is it time to move, to grow, to seek something new? Or is it time to be consciously grateful for what we have right here, right now?

Lex

A Moodscope member.