Lessons From ‘The Stray’

One of Harrogate’s best known landmark is ‘The Stray’ which is 200 acres of grass parkland that surrounds most of the town centre. The Stray is a protected space that is intended for the use of the whole town.

The most striking thing on the Stray are the Cherry Blossom trees and they are a draw for amateur and professional photographers and provide an excellent location for photo shoots.

I have gleaned many lessons from my walks on the stray and here are a few of my highlights.

Life is what you make it

There are fantastic opportunities to make friends but it is up to you to take advantage of them. I have chatted to people on sensitive issues like cancer treatments and got to know their dogs and stories.

Many dogs have forced their owners to engage and I have seen people warm up over time. It is down to us to make an effort.

Focus on your potentials

Through the year, the Cherry Blossom trees look different. They sometimes look like dried unattractive twigs and at their peak, they are gorgeous. The potentials in the trees remained the same throughout the seasons even though what we see and feel looks different.

Same applies to us. Our gifts, talents and potentials remain innate and when people only see a dimension, we have to remember the whole, trust through each season and be the best that we can be.

Redeem the time

On one of my many walks, I ran into a professional photographer who told me that the Cherry Blossom trees would be at their peak in the first week of May. As I took pictures each day, I saw the changes and realised there was a small window to photograph them.

There’s often the right time and season for everything so we must take advantage of that to maximise our results.

Determination and commitment

I have watched with interests as people try to get their children and sometimes dogs to stay still for the perfect shot.

And I have seen photographers lying on the ground to capture the sky as a backdrop to the trees. This challenges me to be determined and committed to my goals.

Don’t take yourself out of the shot

Once I saw a family doing a photo shoot by themselves and it meant the grandfather wasn’t going to be in any of the pictures as he was the photographer.

As I walked past them, I offered to take some pictures so he could be in them and they were very grateful. In that moment, I realised that many times we are so intent on getting it right for others that we forget ourselves.

Be present and appreciate the moment

Recently I saw a teenage boy shaking a branch of the cherry blossom tree so the pink petals could fall off. This is something that would happen naturally with the winds and within a week.

I felt like telling him to enjoy them as they were and he could also enjoy seeing the petals in the air within a few days. My takeaway was to not rush what would be and learn to enjoy what is.

Individual responsibility

The town has the Stray because someone was generous and cared enough about the people to want them to have a permanent place to connect, get and stay healthy and have fun.

So it saddens me when I see people abuse this privilege by leaving their litter, dog poo and broken glasses behind. It reminds me that human beings are the same because many of those who leave their trash behind would easily criticise other parts of the world where this is done.

We must be willing to pay forward the generosity by taking care of what was left as a gift to us.

Show gratitude

I am grateful for the people who take care of the Stray either as volunteers or Council staff who have to maintain and clean the space. I feel their pain when the stray is littered and they have to clean up.

I take time to talk to them and thank them for their work because I realise that without them, I wouldn’t have a lovely space for my walks.

We are surrounded by opportunities to learn and grow so we must take advantage of the school of life. Thanks for reading my post and see you next week.