A decade and a day!
Written by Declan on July 2nd, 2013 Categories: Blogroll, Fund-raising, General, Latest | there are 4 Comments »Ah, that deja vu moment where I again find myself wondering how I might best explain yet another half-year silence on this here web-site… It’s certainly not a lack of the ‘significant dates’ that have occasionally, in the past, been sufficient to jolt the great procrastinator’s pen into action, as there have been numerous ‘new years’ since I last wrote to mark the last one! It’s also not a lack of news and information worthy of sharing about just-one‘s on-going work, as that too has been in as plentiful supply as ever. No, I’m afraid our most recent lexical drought here was spurred by an emotional speed wobble of previously unseen proportions which, all of a sudden and for more than a couple of months, saw even the most simple of tasks become somewhat mammoth undertakings.
I’m not exactly proud that, during these most recent months of silence, I came closer to walking away from just-one than I’ve ever come before, but I’m also happy to share that I’ve pulled through it all relatively unscathed and without having made any such rash decisions. Anyway, loosely veiled confessions of depressive drama aside for the time-being, I simply need to break the spell of silence here and write something… As luck would have it, I currently find myself in the middle of one of these aforementioned blog-friendly ‘significant dates’ that may provide a useful topic for something worth reading… Let’s see!
The diary that never quite took off… A meagre 9 pages in 10 long years!
The photo above goes to show that my inability to write consistently has been in the making for many, many years. Pictured is the first entry I made in a beautiful leather-bound diary that friends gave me to take on my first ever trip to Nepal, 10 years ago yesterday (the great procrastinator did well to catch that particular auspicious date, didn’t he? ;o). As the caption mentions, in the decade that followed I’ve only managed to fill a grand total of 9 pages… Here’s hoping the words might come more freely now that the second decade has begun.
Our recent recruitment of a new programme manager at just-one should certainly help with this improved flow of words, as it finally gives me the opportunity to pull back from the day-to-day operations which, all too often, completely overshadowed my equally important role in terms of fund-raising and PR for the organisation. The newly arrived Mr. Lama is currently in the middle of his first month at the helm, quickly finding his feet and showing great promise in being capable of competently leading our incredible team forward and building on our various achievements to date.
Having spent much of the last two weeks helping him settle into his role, I’m as confident as one can be that I’ll have far fewer reasons not to stay in much more frequent contact from here on in. Hopelessly optimistic, I’m sure, but how d’ya think I made it through all of what the last decade’s thrown my way..? ;o) In a sincere and totally selfless (hhmmm… ;o) effort to help him find his own voice and not crowd it out with an Irish accent, I’m now only a couple of days away from temporarily removing myself from the picture, while I stroll down Sentimental Avenue and finally retrace the steps of my first monsoon in the mountains in 2003 – a journey that ultimately changed my life and saw the idea of just-one being initially conceived.
I’ve now idea if the 4 days it took me to walk to the remote village I first visited Nepal to teach in will be sufficient, 10 years on, to get me back there again for the first time since. Regardless of whether it take 4 days though or 6, I’m simply looking forward to the opportunity to breath fresh air, clear my mind and contemplate all that’s happened since I was last there. Over self-indulgence or necessary self-care – I’m not quite sure yet, but I reckon there’s bound to be a few nuggets of wisdom in there somewhere to share once I get back by the end of the month! Until then though, take care, smile as often as you can and huge thanks for whatever support you may have provided us with over the years.
The little house on a faraway mountainside where I stayed ‘way back in 2003.
4 Responses to “A decade and a day!”
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What would you like to do now?
read the previous post Another New Year and another long overdue blog-post…, go on to the next post Danced with the devil, find out how to make a difference, or learn about our work.
July 2nd, 2013 14:11
There’s a book there somewhere!!
July 2nd, 2013 18:14
Your spirit, as always, shines through.
I’m proud, and thankful, to have had the chance to work with Just-One, even if only for a very short time.
Enjoy your time in the wise old mountains.
Hope we get to see you again down the road sometime.
July 3rd, 2013 07:38
Declan, your awesome & the work you do !!!! Simply the best mate. See you mid Sept/Oct hopefully. Your work is not done there bro & neither is mine.
Stay strong,(kia kaha)
September 11th, 2013 18:56
Head up Declan, you’ve plenty of work left in you yet! I have witnessed first-hand the fruits of your contamplation all those years ago and it’s indeed something to celebrate 10 years on. Hope the countryside provides the inspiration and answers that you seek, if not, at least a bit of fresh air will clear those urban lungs. I look forward to hearing what enfolds on your return. Namaste.