Several thousand people, pack the Woodford Amphitheatre to see in the new year
and spark up their candles for the a moment of reflection close to midnight
and walk under an impressive structure made largely of bamboo on their way back to the rest of the festival, looking up and hoping that they're up to the task of tackling another year.
(Typed on the trust Olivetti Lettera 22 seen in this blog's background)
Why is New Year's important? Why does the sun rising just like the day before and the day after on a date picked somewhat absentmindedly from the stars (or a far more scientific method more likely) some thousands of years ago warrant the need to place expectations which are, as expected, not going to be lived up to?
ReplyDeleteWoodford is splendid because it is what it is. A mixed bag, both performances and the crowd - Tim Finn playing at Woodford will never be Tim and Neil Finn playing like in the old Crowded House videos - because it's not and it won't be.
Expectations mess us up because we aren't able to separate the has from the was from the never will be. And then because of that we miss the good bits that do happen while we're stewing about the bits that aren't. It's a shame how that works though, you have high expectations that are never met, but when you have low ones, as it appeared you did judging by the sombre tone of your introduction, they always turn out like expected.
Some very good points Anna. We make sense of the world in our own and varied ways and too often it's social norms and the like which get in the way and cloud our sense-making because society tells us we should feel a certain way on a certain day. It wasn't that I had high expectations of this new years, I always new it'd be a sombre one, but I have placed high expectations on new years in the past and I found myself doing the same to Tim Finn. Woodford is indeed a wonderful thing and volunteering there for the whole week was a great experience.
DeleteIf we are able to live in the present, then we bypass expectations all together, but truly living in the present is a really difficult thing to do and something that's been even harder than usual, so agreed, aim low and you'll hit your target.
I concur. And might I add what a terribly small world wide web it is; perhaps we may have just crossed fisherman pant clad paths at Woodford just gone. Of course I say that in the most un-creepiest, non-internet stalking kind of ways. Digressing though, I just wanted to take but a brief moment to say thank you, Steve Snow; I have been having terrible writer's block of late and your almost painfully frank and leaning towards pess- as opposed to opt-imistic recount of expectations has inspired me to put 2B to paper. A bit of nonsensical advice from an old girl who wasted too much time waiting for the phone to ring and being surprisingly upset when it never did - go out and enjoy the sunshine but put those rose coloured glasses on first, all that happiness can be blinding.
DeleteWoodford! I love Woodford. What an excellent way to spend new years. Mind you, last new years I spent at Woodford I was busy trying to find a hatch in the back of my head, that a certain mushroom and herb cocktail had convinced me was there.
ReplyDeleteOh wait... did I just overshare? Sorry about that.
The old head hatch hey? These mushrooms and/or herbs you speak of I have not sampled
DeleteIt looks ideal and convivial entertainment for New Year's Eve. Saw Neil Finn quite a few years ago (14-ish) at Womad in Reading with a differently named band. We get anxious about New Years because of fear? Just a thought. Happy New 2014!
ReplyDeleteAgreed, but would it be fair to say that we get anxious about anything because of fear? Neil is actually playing solo here in March and I'll definitely see if I can't make that.
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