Since my last post I have moved house and started a new job; both amazing opportunities for new experience and learning at all levels. But they say things go in 3s, and so it has been for me. A third big change is currently underway; lens replacement procedures on both my eyes. They break up the old lens, with all its distorting cataracts, and insert a new one which takes account of much of what my old, very strong, spectacles used to do. My sight will not be perfect, I will still need glasses for screen and distance work, but at least some of the difficulties I have experienced over recent years and months will be diminished. The miracles of Science and Technology for which I am extremely grateful.

You’ll sense a “but”, or hopefully an “and”.

The transition, as with any transition, is the tricky and painful bit. Trying to do things with just one eye for example. We take it for granted that both eyes will be involved in our seeing and that the two will be working together. But you try wearing a patch for a few hours to do your normal day-to-day activities!

At present my new eye it at about minus 3D, that is a very modest degree of myopia, short-sightedness. My old eye is at about – 18D . . . with cataracts. Talk about two different views of the world! . . . but which is real!

In some respect I have been looking forward to these eye operations, particularly at this time of year, as it is giving me an opportunity to hibernate; to not do much. To do some much needed deep reflection as the UK moves from pandemic to covid-19 endemic and the climate emergency moves that much more into general consciousness.

Not being able to see things physically much at the moment has forced me to go ever deeper into my own inner seeing. I had many years ago realised that we humans put far too much emphasis on what we can see and how we interpret that logically. Each new experience of mine is helping me develop a consciousness beyond that rationality.

Yet we live in a physical world. Not being able to see makes one acutely aware as to just how one needs to be able to see clearly in a conventional way in order to survive. Yet, paradoxically, that same challenge provides the opportunity to go ever deeper and find a sense of peace within. What’s better place from which to survive an attack on your eyeball than from a deep place of meditation, for example.

I am genuinely hopeful that 2022 marks the beginning of a new phase in humankind’s conscious evolution. It strikes me that a combination of the pandemic and COP26 marks a Turning Point for us. There can no longer be any doubt that we Are All In This Together, no matter what our nationality, ability or labels we might use to describe ourselves.

Whether it is to realise that we do not need to commute all those hours a week or that we are indeed only mortal, many a wake up call is now finally being heeded. And not before time!