Issue 157 | September 2024

Hello dear readers, and a warm welcome to this slightly delayed edition of the Voice for Arran! As we move into the more autumnal ambience of September we have some wide-ranging pieces that take us from Hustings to Housing, and from Health to Happiness. I read last month on a local social media post that August was ‘International Happiness Happens Month.’  Despite my edge of cynicism at the proliferation of their being a day, a week, a month for everything these days, it struck a chord. Possibly a reflection of the fact that happiness, and seeking happiness, is one of the universal truths of being human.

We are told a happy mind allows us to live a longer and more satisfying life. But is it all about positive thoughts and can joy be found anywhere if only one looks? It often feels that despite our best efforts to seek it out - in our relationships, work and personal interests – the more elusive it seems to be. Furthermore, according to the article Mindfulness for Living, A Different Approach to Happiness, in these modern times most of us are drawn to a “hedonic” kind of happiness, a happiness that “is all about getting and consuming – filling an inner sense of hunger and lack.”  Yet the author Choden goes onto say there is another kind of happiness that does not depend on external conditions but one which arises from within. It is what the ancient Greeks called eudemonia and it comes when we begin to live in alignment with our inner values. Choden writes, “This kind of happiness is about recognizing that there is a pre-existing completeness and freedom within that we can tap into and savour. But first we need to learn to be still.”

Coming to Arran’s Housing Crisis, Problems and Solutions, I wonder how likely this kind of happiness is for those people who struggle with difficult realities in their lives. For Choden also writes that this happiness is available to all of us, “when we are not threatened and have what we need.”  And the “dire” housing situation on the island that Neil Wilkinson describes shows that the basic needs of security and safety for a significant number of people on the island are not met. Writing as retiring housing officer for Arran, Neil outlines the different and compounding issues that the younger generations and those on the national living wage particularly face. He explains that “Social housing, which gives people the security and dignity of knowing that they can live as long as  they want in their home,” is in very short supply. At the same time the issue of housing need and homelessness is mostly hidden. This is mainly because people of all incomes live in very close proximity on Arran, so that “despite widespread poverty, no area of the island scores highly in the Scottish government's 'index of multiple deprivation'”.

Neil notes that the situation could be addressed with a shift in policy and by “politicians who will press the council and government to fix the housing crisis on Arran”. The upcoming by-election on the 12^th of this month is our chance to make sure our voice is heard and hopefully influence this situation. Elsewhere in this issue, and over the coming weeks, health and wellbeing and the benefits of being out in nature are spotlighted. There are various walks to join with Eco Savvy and the Ayrshire Walking and Wheeling festival, and therapeutic gardening sessions are starting again at Heather Lodge. There are also some free introductory mindfulness sessions at Eco Savvy’s Zero Waste Cafes and in the middle of the month a session at Heather Lodge if you are interested in learning more about this different approach to happiness.  Otherwise, we wish you all a very happy month! Elsa

Some Voice for Arran Housekeeping:

For a number of reasons we have decided to reduce the Voice for Arran output to a quarterly publication. This may change again in the future but for now we will bring you an edition every 3 months, the next one being in December. We really value the continued support and contributions of our readership, and we hope to keep bringing you interesting and informative issues for many months to come! Please do get in touch with any questions, queries or observations by email at: info@voiceforarran.com and we will keep in touch through the Voice for Arran Facebook page. We will love to hear from you!