New Broom

The chimney sweep made his long awaited visit this morning.

I’d made the appointment some weeks ago. Having the chimney swept in readiness for winter had been on my ‘list of things to do’ for a while – and, when I finally got round to it, I found he was much in demand.  He tells me that there’s at least a three month waiting list now – suddenly people have ‘woken up’ to the fact that the nights are drawing in, there’s a cold snap in the air and that before very long the supermarkets and shops will be endeavouring to create a sense of seasonal bonhomie as they serenade us to the sounds of Bing singing about ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire’. Except, of course, for those poor souls who (like me last year) delayed too long and couldn’t find a sweep who was available before Christmas – any chestnut roasting will have to happen elsewhere.

Because I didntl have my chimney swept last year I had very few fires- no more than a handful at most, last winter. And probably not much more than that in the previous year.  What struck me, however, was just how much stuff had accumulated in the chimney – all unbeknown to me. And I wondered whether Mr Sweep might have been offering a metaphor about the value of living in the now, of paying attention, and to what can happen if we take our eye off the ball and , the reassurance, if any is needed,  that it’s always possible to get back on track. The key, it seems to me, is taking action. Be (at) cause you can.