Newcastle Photographer and Content Creator, Mandy Charlton, Always on a quest for adventure, often seen on buses, trains and planes. On a quest to be happier and healthier. Lives in Newcastle with her 3 cats, Iris, Maggie and Arthur. Loves good vibes, musicals and cakes. Full time professional wedding photographer in the north east of england alongside content creator on Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook

Sunday, February 26, 2017

The rules of being a hermit


Crocuses in Heaton Park, Mandy Charlton, Photographer, Writer, Blogger, rules of being a hermit, mental health, life, musings of a 40+ year old woman in Newcastle upon Tyne


Over the last few days I've reinvoked my hermit clause, that is, at any given time I may choose to retreat from the world as much as possible, speak as little as possible and sleep as often as possible. I'm binge-watching Sex in The City and so far this week I've eaten at least 3 bags of varying kinds of mini chocolate eggs (thank you Easter) and today I've even eaten Pizza courtesy of my kind son and Pizza Hut.  These are all items on my banned list and I really need to sort myself out soon before I end up looking like a cross between Miss Piggy and the Marshmallow Man.

My thumb is sore from swiping left too often on Tinder and I've officially run out of men in a 50k vicinity.  My work calendar is so quiet that I've questioned if I'm even still alive and it's still not spring, as the kids would say FML!!

Now I don't mean to get all maudlin and really, you shouldn't feel sorry for me but I do think soon the tides have to turn a little, for every bad time, slow time, down time I've had an equal an opposite period of joy and fun and glory, my life I guess is symptomatic of bipolar, go figure!

I keep thinking that transitional times are good for the soul, being a hermit is good for the soul, you have to be alone so that you appreciate the times when you aren't so alone. So I am embracing my hermitage even if it is 20 minutes away from the city centre and not on the top of a rugged cliff on a remote island somewhere in the pacific.

If I have to go out for work or groceries or if one of my teens isn't walking Holly Bobbins then I'm going but you can bet that as soon as I possibly can I am returning to my nest, my small quiet sanctuary where mostly life is quiet and straightforward, where 4 people can simultaneously watch Netflix at once (yes I upgraded) and where real life doesn't hurt quite so much.

I commented to Laura yesterday that I really need some sunshine and maybe a book or two which will restore my positivity, I'm usually one of the most positive people and I'm not sure how I've gotten to the point where I feel that life is genuinely beating me over the head with a big stick.  I'm sure I get to this point at the end of each winter though and then just when I'm about to give up all hope, spring happens, I get some sunshine in my soul and life feels good again.  I think I'm going to need some tactics to get through the next 22 days.  Did you know by the way, that spring officially starts on the 20th March at 10.30am, so 10.29am it's winter and then boom, 1 minute later and it's daffodils, tulips and the great slide into Easter, I think this year I may have some kind of ceremony at the exact moment of springs arrival if anyone wants to join me?

What do you say we all synchronously plant up a tulip at 10.30am on the 20th March followed by diving straight into a packet of Dime mini eggs?  A welcome to spring party we can all get on board with, feel free to pop in, the mini eggs are on me!


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