In the 21st Century fame, greed and opulence are widely peddled but CALM is much undervalued.

In my suburb many of the modest dwellings of the 70s have been bulldozed to make place for concrete mansions.

A neighbourhood that used to consist mainly of small homes with gardens that ran to the street is now long rows of multistory homes with high cement walls and steel gates.

Concrete and metal palaces scream,

“Look at ME!”

as well as…

“YOU can’t come in!”

The large concrete mansions draw the eye and dominate the landscape but, having bulldozed all trees to claim the space they are also exposed to the public gaze.

Is there something lost?

Today I walked through a small piece of parkland in the middle of the neighbourhood.

The path meandered through native bush and trees and emerged onto the street where you were face-to-face with a home almost hidden by its trees and garden. The home itself was painted a gentle green and tucked back from the street.

Thus it was almost invisible unless you came face-to-face with it, as I had, out of the parkland.

The amazing fact was that I have walked this street hundreds of times but had never noticed this home before!

I was so surprised by this that I made myself TRULY look and search through the gardens up the rest of the street.

To my amazement I realized there were three or four homes that I had never noticed before. All were tucked back from the road, well hidden by established gardens and leafy trees.

Overshadowed by the concrete blocks around them the inhabitants of these modest homes enjoy privacy and peace.

How many gentle days have people in these little oases enjoyed as the rest of the world has been rushing around bulldozing, demolishing and creating palaces?!?

It reminded me of how little is needed for peace. We are TOLD we need a mansion (and fame and fortune) but the peace of being unnoticed and in calm and serenity is a deep gift.

Children know this.

In Tolkien’s Hobbit you saw Gold fever grip the King of the Dwarfs when what he was really seeking was a HOME. His cold Mountain halls filled with gold are contrasted with the peace and green of the “Shire” where Hobbits (small and simple folk) live.

Palaces may not be possible for all of us, and certainly not for most of humans on our planet, but all of us can have calm and tranquility of a good life.

In Tolkien’s novels the Hobbits fulfil quests that ensure peaceful living for others, a peace that is just part of daily life in the Shire.

The hallmark of our time is demolish, renovate expand, push, push, build more, do more, have more.

Beware the seduction of haste that says going fast is the same as going somewhere!

The frantic race may rob you of the true beauty of the life which is yours alone.

I wonder how many cups of tea, home cooked dinners and quiet afternoons have been enjoyed by the non-renovators in their small oases. Days that cannot be reclaimed by the manic crowd.

More importantly, how many good days have small children spent in the quiet green spaces.

Maybe without intercom controlled gates but with flowers, birds and trees to climb and grassy corners in which to play.

Maybe we don’t need to choose more…we just need to choose better.

Photocredits: Grey buildings K. Thomas

Other photocredits (in order) c. Depositphotos/Fairytaledesign, Simonalvinge, Majorgaine, wildnerdpix