Day 121 – Living in an original fishing village today marks the day of the Virgin Del Carmen and as such we have a local holiday, she is the Patron of the sea and protector of all seamen, fishermen and anybody else entering the waters. The statue of the virgin is stored in a small church quite close to me, in fact my daughter went to the Virgin Del Carmen school. Usually the statue is brought out of the church and carried through the town in a procession with thousands following her route to what was probably the other end of the town originally. She is then put on a raft/float as she enters the sea to journey back to the fisherman’s area in front of the church to be put back safely until next year. This whole process takes hours, I think she leaves around 6 or 7 in the evening after a service and she reaches the other end around dusk (9.30-10) arriving back to the church at probably midnight. The whole stretch of beach and promenade is full by this time especially in the area where she is walked down to the sea. After the ceremony she is gently guided onto the raft, and the probably close to 80 penitents dressed in white who carried the Virgin all jump in the sea along with many others. She is left to drift surrounded by other small manned boats, where religious blessings are given to the sea and all who embark on it for the coming year.
I have attended this event many times, usually taking visitors I have had staying and on a couple of occasions many years ago I went out in boats, so I have witnessed the event from land and sea. It is a very noisy affair, the beaches are full with many people swimming, dipping or paddling to be blessed by the holy water as she passes by, flares are launched periodically for hours and people drink heavily. Watching from the beach there are hundreds of boats, large and small fishermen’s, pleasure boats and these days jet skis, it is a spectacle as they bounce into each other at the seas edge shouting or singing to one another and yes drinking a lot. If they ground by getting too close to shore they just push or tug each other back and carry on singing, celebrating and drinking! I believe she works miracles on this evening after spending the evening on a boat, they have huge barrels of sangria, they bump up to each other hanging on and passing drink and food from one boat to another. They switch their engines off to float around, if an engine wont re start they just tow each other. Amongst all this chaos people jump in the water, fall in the water, little boats float between the big boats and jet skis zoom around waving to their friends not looking forward or in the water for swimmers. Being onboard a boat for the evening everything that you know of maritime safety is gone out the window, people hang over the rails, jump from boat to boat all extremely intoxicated, if somebody falls in then other intoxicated people jump in to rescue them but everybody survives the night with no injuries or damage so this is certainly a night of miracles!
Today I can see small gatherings of fishing boats out and about probably doing their own blessings and they look like they are still eating and drinking in celebration. The same happened last week after our feria was cancelled, some streets still decorated with flags and people had there own celebrations with one even conducting there own queen of the feria. Culture and traditions can not be stopped because public events to celebrate are cancelled, people will make their own celebrations which is beautiful and inspiring to see, these ways are in the heart and do not need to be in large gatherings within the streets or dictated by governments.
A few photos from many years ago at sea early in the early evening before the alcohol set in and a few official ones too of the Virgin
Day 22 – last night after an off, then on and finally off scenario of the Virgin Del Carmen celebrations it was unusually quiet, the sea had only a few boats out which all came in before dark. No flares during the evening cumulating in a small fireworks display at midnight, I heard only one flare go off just after midnight. On the subject of fisherman this story appeared before me this morning, the mystery of Coronavirus scientists are trying to figure out: “most of the crew tested positive despite spending 35 days at sea and testing negative before they left.”
On the same subject they are also finding post truamatic stress in people after having had covid, another personal observation is that gradually we are seeing less and less use of the word Covid-19. News reports are slipping into using Coronavirus which of course could mean anything as it is a type of common virus that can infect your nose, sinuses, or upper throat, spreading much like cold viruses and almost everyone gets one at least once in their life, mainly as a young child. The other terminology being used often now is SARS-CoV-2.
Last night I had a melt down after three subjects arose from discussions one after the other, all of which were my worst triggers! I can usually cope with only one at a time, so surprisingly as I felt chest pains and palpitations arising as the body reacted, I went to a new place. To complete surrender, not only to the sensations but to the whole story around the triggers as well, there was no story or emotional reactions as I laid there with gentle continuous tears flowing for hours. I had my hands on myself giving healing and just completely let everything go. I didn’t want to be in that space which the emotions bring up so I dropped the stories and allowed it to just flow out and it felt like a beautiful gentle kind healing. I realised that flame inside was not out, I couldn’t meditate without a battle in my head so I stopped trying, the tears went on for probably 6 hours stopping and starting but each time I felt something within me giving comfort. It felt like I was being my own mother, no story just the comforting unconditional love, I was also truly grateful that I was aware of all this happening, coming up to be released and healed.
This morning I feel completely blessed to have had that experience, a new way for me, the only thing remaining is a headache probably from the constant crying and release. I doesn’t matter how old we get or how often things arise which feel the same as past experiences or feelings, they are different each time, we keep learning and this experience of being truly thankful for them arising took on a new depth. As I settled in with the flow it was so beautiful to observe and just be without those familiar old stories attached swirling around the mind, just an awareness that these were the root of my present feelings. It was almost like my experience on New Years Day at the top of the mountain, I was above the clouds not stuck in them or caught up in the dramas below!
Day 123 Finally my daughters flight is booked and she is arriving on Tuesday, I am so excited as it seems like a lifetime ago when she was coming in March and cancelled a day or two before, as lock down was looking imminent in Spain. Also there was not much known of the virus contagion rate, but with many cases from people travelling, so the risk for her on the flight and also passing it to myself was her main concern. Fingers crossed she will arrive safe and well this time. Having been brought up here she doesn’t plan on going out sight seeing, she is not a beach person and will delay telling friends she has arrived so she can relax a little. She will work from home a little and we shall just enjoy being together until she contacts people. I am not sure how this will work for her as many are not congregating in the bars so much, maybe home visits or just sitting outside in quieter places. It will be interesting to find a pattern to how this age group are reacting to the circumstances, I have my 2 sons friends to gauge by but her friends are much more social people. It will be very strange for them all to be wearing masks and not allowed the usually Spanish hugs and over zealous greetings, especially not seeing each other since Christmas.
Taking a look at medical news I actually got a little confused seeing this article “New Cancer Vaccine Ready for Human Trials” I was confused to the word vaccine, like many I thought vaccines were to help protect us from disease. Usually they are made from weakened or harmless versions of the disease they are being made to protect us from. They don’t cause the disease but stimulate the immune system into action attacking the harmless version of the disease making antibodies which protect if you do come into contact with it again. Now researchers are looking at vaccines as a possible treatment for cancer, not protection, confused I found this explanation “In the same way that vaccines work against diseases, the vaccines are made to recognise proteins that are on particular cancer cells, his helps the immune system to recognise and mount an attack against those particular cancer cells.” After all these years of funding and research will they finally have something that works besides the horrific use of chemotherapy, lets hope so.
Experts say a covid vaccine potential made from the common cold coronavirus may offer a “double defence” against the virus having shown that it generates an immune response against the disease showing the presence of both antibodies and T-cells as a “double defence.” Again my lack of medical knowledge confuses as I thought having antibodies did protect as in the case of most vaccines, but it turns out in this case they are short lived so the T- cell extra activity works in protecting for longer? Technically this sounds brilliant but doesn’t over production of T-cells cause many autoimmune diseases of which they are trying to find cures, searching for ways to switch off these over producing T-cells? Especially in rheumatology. Experts say that Heparin the common drug could be used to stop SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells in the early stages. Finally biodegradable “Nerve Guide Helps Regenerate Damaged Nerves” I have known quite a few people in my life with serious deliberating nerve damage so this sounds promising if it ever comes into being. Its is amazing how many medical breakthroughs I have read over my many years but most never become available for standard use, maybe this if because of cost, or maybe they prove unsafe, I don’t know but its quite disappointing to not see many treatments come into fruition.
Today may well be my last post for a while, I will see what happens after I take this 2 week break, maybe I will discipline myself or maybe I shall just go back to writing important or interesting subjects of health, massage or growing old. Whatever happens I am sure that throughout the rest of this year we haven’t seen the last of events or circumstances changing the way in which our future will decide to move into.
Always remember we are part of nature, I believe in as it is above so it it below, our cells within are individual parts of the whole that make up our body, our body is an individual cell that makes up our planet and our planet is an individual cell that forms or makes our universe and our universe is an individual cell that makes up? You see, no matter how insignificant we think we are, we are a necessary part of the whole, it is our duty to keep the whole healthy and not work to destroy it. Stay safe and take precautions to protect yourself and loved ones including taking care of your mental health.💜
Growing Old 