What a contrast last night between the shopping mall and the pregnant sheep in the field in the setting sun. Each spoke differently.
The shopping mall, though kind of operative again, has a dead feel to it. Nothing like it used to be. And yesterday afternoon the fountain was turned off again. There were hardly any cars there, which is far from normal. It feels weird because Gregg’s is open, and the Cup Cake shop, and the music was playing. Normally people would get their sandwich or whatever, and a coffee or cold drink, and sit on the grass around the fountain. People would be carrying plants, and flowers from the flower shop near the fountain. Or they would be sitting at the tables outside, just relaxing. Kids would be playing with balls, or whatever, and running in and out of the fountain, getting their clothes drenched! Mums and Dads did it quite often too!
But yesterday there was no life. Yes, people were doing a bit of shopping, but actually, most of them were hurrying. No stopping in the warm sunshine and relaxing, talking to one another. I felt as though someone was trying to create an illusion of happiness and normality. The spaced out queues said it all.
In the evening however, we felt that we had touched LIFE again. We had not realised before that the sheep were pregnant, although we go past them most days. But just to see the movement of a lamb in the belly of the sheep almost sent us into ecstasy. Here was REAL LIFE, not the death of life as we know it.
In nature there is still hope.
