The start to the year saw some self-repair, which reminded me of the Japanese perspective of Wabi-Sabi, in which “imperfection” is championed. When something broken is repaired, the flaws are embraced and fully displayed instead of hidden away, adding to the story, and thus making the object – or person – in question much more interesting.
As a society, we are bombarded with artificial – and irresponsible – images of “perfection”, which can make us feel inadequate and unhappy. I once again took the opportunity to take a “digital detox” and I didn’t miss it at all. Social Media doesn’t enrich my life – true physical interactions between friends and family do that, although admittedly these are few and far between in these times of Lockdown.
Here in the UK, we are lucky to live in a country where broken bodies can be repaired. The human body is an amazing machine, and the healing process is phenomenal. So embrace any physical scars, and wear them with pride. But spare a thought for those who live in countries without access to healthcare, and who suffer as a consequence.
If I were a pot, I’d be rough around the edges, with quite a few cracks, but weathering the journey well, and more importantly, enjoying it.
