Consistently, for the last 10 years, my catchphrase has been "next week it'll all calm down". Usually by the Wednesday of any given week, I'll have uttered it with palpable desperation at least four times. And my goal for this elusive calm week isn't even that ambitious, all I want is to finally feel caught up with myself. To feel, even if only for a fleeting moment, like I am on top of things.
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to think about the dichotomies inherent in the human condition. While its origins are murky, it appears to have evolved from ancient Celtic celebrations centered on the change of seasons and superstitious beliefs about evil spirits and death. During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church attempted to replace this pagan holiday with All Souls Day, dedicated to honoring saints and the dead.
I'm chatting to the man who fixes our lawnmowers in Tallanstown, Co Louth. Monaghan is only a few fields away and everyone comes to Denis Smyth - from there, from Ardee, from Louth village and Knockbridge and other such unshowy places - for a chat and a service. I realise a few minutes in that we're both cursing a lot.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed right now? We are all feeling it lately, personally and collectively as a society. You may be absorbing not only your own stress, but stress from those around you, as well as national stress. The world - and maybe your life - feels like it's turned upside down and may not seem like it makes sense anymore.
