Here's to A Happier New Year

New, most definitely. Happier, well, umm. Wait another three months then ask me again. But for now, it's enough to know that the coronavirus vaccines are rolling out. And this third national lockdown should (if we keep all our fingers AND toes crossed) be our last one.

How did you spend the first week of 2021? For those who braved the arctic conditions (some chores just won't wait), well done you. For those who kept busy indoors instead, you must have some of the tidiest homes in town! And me? I made a pair of gloves.

Okay, let me explain. I'd only been with Alsager U3A for a couple of Christmases, yet I was missing it like a twenty-year veteran. Not just the activities, but all the friendly banter that came with them. So I decided to fill the new gaps in my routine, with an old hobby.

To the layperson, they were just knitting needles. To the trained eye, they were 14 inches of lustrous blue aluminium, chiselled into single pointed perfection. To me, they were 'The Enemy'. But I soldiered on. And where technical knowhow faltered, sheer stubbornness prevailed.

On the third day, I downed tools: it was all over. The ball of wool had miraculously transformed into a pair of fingerless mittens. Alright, one hand was bigger than the other. And maybe the seams were a little crooked, here and there. But they were warm, and they were all my own work.

The end? Not quite. This personal challenge also turned out to be a timely reminder:

• That skills may fade over time, but they can be revived
• That being an expert isn't the be-all and end-all, everyone can (and should!) have a go
• That measuring success is about enjoying the experience, not picking over the results.

And that's what keeps me going, as I wait patiently for my group activities to restart, yet again.

The U3A: it's not what we do, it's who we are.

Wishing our members, all the best for 2021.

Teresa
(website editor)

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