and then there was 10....

And the downsizing continues.
Today another good friend leaves manchester for new spanish horizons, the fourth of an increasing number of people who I have met and journeyed with these last 10 months, who are departing this fair city. My hot holiday destination list is growing all the time!!

But it is a challenge to me, to continue to be the friend to these guys that i have been, but when i am not just around the corner. Anyone from any previous walks of my life will know i am terrible at keeping in contact, supporting people and sharing my life with those who are not directly in my line of sight. But I am being challenged to change this (hence the increased blog time) because these people are still important to me, and our friendships, although great fun, have consequences beyond ourselves. The way that we live and think and breathe is different, and so walking it alone would be hard.... and so calls for community, the global village, (a phrase i used to hate, but as my family from manchester are walking into it, i am realising it cant by-passed but embraced).

How much would i love all these amazing people to stay in manchester - a whole lot! But then again, as i said before, what we have learnt even just since i have been here (and for others the whole 7 years before), was not just for us, was not just for this little pocket of downtrodden earth - but something living, breathing, evolving and moving... so to hem it in and keep it in a box would be 1) a crime and 2) the very thing we were trying to break free from in the first place! To think we should keep it quietly to ourselves means not allowing others to challenge us, and prevents us from loving people in a way which releases them to be the best they can be

So to those gone and going, let the journey and the adventure continue, not alone or apart but just in a bigger place.....