Sabbatical Diary: Week One

I am currently on a three month sabbatical from work. I have big plans, including trips to Czechia, Japan, and South Korea… but those are still some way aways yet. For now, I am but a week in, though it has definitely not been uneventful.

One of the things that I wanted to make sure and do over this period was to just say yes to opportunities that came up – especially those that I wouldn’t normally. Having the luxury of time means that you don’t need to be quite as precious about retaining space in your schedule for only the things that you are certain about, and the past couple of years have reminded me that taking chances in that manner can often open doors to paths that then branch off accresently in both unexpected and extremely rewarding ways. It’s funny how easily we can become closed off to new experiences, deciding in advance what we will or won’t enjoy.

One such opportunity to do something different came in the form of a one-day festival curated by Mogwai that was taking place in Queen’s Park, which is just along the road from me. A bunch of my pals were going (coincidentally, folks I had only met as the result of saying yes to another mad proposal a few years back), and whilst I knew pretty much nothing about Mogwai or any of the other bands, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to put my intentions into practice.

As it turns out (perhaps unsurprisingly), it was a great day. We hung out in the sun drinking pints from cardboard boxes, and I discovered some new bands that I really liked – including BEAK>. As for Mogwai… I was aware of their legendary status, but had never really understood the appeal, until I saw them live. It was incredible. A wall of sound, with moments that genuinely almost felt like a spiritual experience.

After the gig wrapped up, we headed back to one of our pal’s house to extend the party late into the night. I got home at 6am, and after a few hours’ sleep, we met up again to see LCD Soundsystem at the Barrowlands. Again, this was another band that I had only discovered a love for fairly recently through making space for serendipity… after formerly writing them off as hipster fodder. They were far better live than I expected, and as I looked around at a group of folks that I had come to call friends, hearing songs together that had developed more significance than I could ever explain on here, in one of the best venues there is, I genuinely almost shed a tear.

Not everybody felt quite as great as I did mind, which is probably partly down to the fact that they had to get up and work the next day. It struck me just how liberating it was to not even have that be a passing consideration. I could just be, instead of holding space for other major responsibilities. Instead, on the Monday me and Grace went a long walk, got Korean food, and had some beers. I even went to bed early. Well, early for me. Not working suits me.

On the Tuesday I had all these plans to develop film, make music, and so on – but fate had other ideas. As it turned out, my good friend Lou – who I haven’t seen in about 15 years – happened to be in town for one night only. Literally just a few streets away. We grabbed a coffee and caught up. A decade and a half is a lot of ground to cover, but she hasn’t really changed a bit. I grabbed a picture for posterity. Again, I was struck by how precious it felt to be able to have time to enjoy these moments without feeling guilty for postponing or putting some other obligation off.

After a few days of packing and fighting off a cold, it was time for Kelburn Garden Party – a psychedelic festival set on the West Coast. I had been looking forward to this for months (a feeling I am usually rather unfamiliar with), and it lived up to the expectations. I have a whole other blog coming on that when I get all of my films back… so I won’t go into too many details. However, what really struck me was just how important it is to consciously make the space to spend time with friends, doing something more meaningful than a perfunctory catch-up over dinner. The sabbatical is allowing me the time to be more deliberate about that, but really it’s probably even more essential when working, to act as a grounding force. Our lives need to be about more than just our jobs – no matter how great or fulfilling they might be.

That brings the first sort-of chapter of my sabbatical to a close. Next, Grace and I are heading to the Highlands to explore some bits of Scotland that we’ve never seen before.