Rides bikes, paddles sea kayaks, takes pictures. Life on the road & my home in Cornwall.
Mental Health Loop
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The town I live in has been, and still is, the butt of many jokes within Cornwall. With the collapse of the tin mining industry its fortunes declined dramatically and it became ripe fodder for jokes around the perceived lack of ‘sophistication’ of the heart of west Cornwall. It is a poor area, walk inland a couple of km from the wealth on the coast and you’ll find one of the most deprived areas of the UK, and the only part of England to qualify for support from the EU’s regional development fund. In the context of a Cornwall that has been largely gutted by the second home phenomenon, and turned into something of a luxury theme park, it turns out that from a personal perspective it is not an entirely bad thing that it is this way.
Unlike many coastal ex-communities the place I live, despite a rich cultural heritage, is not considered “desirable”, which means it is still a friendly, functioning community, entirely independent of tourism, with a usefully stocked high street, and is just far enough inland (about 3km I think as the crow flies), to mean that housing is still just about affordable. It also means that I have access to a super ‘escape route’ for those moments when I cannot stand to look at another line of code and just have to get away from my desk, or for when life is simply getting me down. I’ve come to think of it as my ‘mental health loop’. A ride that packs in lots of that which does me good into a very short distance. 30km of mixed road and trail that has dense forest, open farmland, booming coastal views, birds, and dependent on season.. lots of mud, or dust. It doesn’t need much more than an hour away from my desk, but usually soaks up much longer because there wouldn’t be any point in having swapped a career for self-employment if it didn’t. Cornwall doesn’t have wilderness and an extensive trail network to lose yourself on but there are some terrific little pockets of goodness that can be made the most of, and for which I am grateful.
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4 thoughts on “Mental Health Loop”
All right there Mike,
Just a note to say thank you. Thank you for the posts, the inspiration and the insight. Thank you for sharing a unique personal perspective.
As a fellow journeyman of West Penwith, they bring solace when I’m away to sea and/or in foreign parts. They are also, for me, a healthy reminder to get out and cleanse the soul/mind when it is claustrophobic or hounded by those black dogs. This is a beautiful and powerful landscape that we journey through and one that can shed light into dark corners. Perhaps we’ll meet in passing, if we do, will gladly share a coffee and a yarn. Take it easy chap.
just perfect Mike – you see your images in a unique way. Always look forward to clicking on your posts – you know you are going to learn something every time.
All right there Mike,
Just a note to say thank you. Thank you for the posts, the inspiration and the insight. Thank you for sharing a unique personal perspective.
As a fellow journeyman of West Penwith, they bring solace when I’m away to sea and/or in foreign parts. They are also, for me, a healthy reminder to get out and cleanse the soul/mind when it is claustrophobic or hounded by those black dogs. This is a beautiful and powerful landscape that we journey through and one that can shed light into dark corners. Perhaps we’ll meet in passing, if we do, will gladly share a coffee and a yarn. Take it easy chap.
hey Tom, thanks for writing and thank you for such an insightful comment! Do stop me and say hello if you see me out and about.
just perfect Mike – you see your images in a unique way. Always look forward to clicking on your posts – you know you are going to learn something every time.
you’re way too kind! I feel same way about your posts and pictures, everyone sees the world in a different way and it’s great.