During my years in the monastery many things in the world outside were rapidly advancing and changing. When I entered the monastery, mobile phones were those huge clunky things about the size of a brick, with a large antenna sticking out the top. Only the upper class elite could afford to own one. I think… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #7 – My First Mobile Phone
Category: Leaving the Monastery
First Days Outside the Monastery #6 – A Ghostly Encounter
Do you like visiting quaint old English villages? The United Kingdom is full of such little towns… beautiful and picturesque old market towns, still with their original buildings often dating back as much as 500 years. Full of character and history, these villages make up a part of the rich heritage of the UK. The… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #6 – A Ghostly Encounter
First Days Outside the Monastery #5 – The Paintings Are Alive!
When I entered my mother’s house I had quite a shock. A strange and new experience, taking me by surprise. It was good to see my mother again, but that wasn’t what was overwhelming me. It hadn’t been that long since I last saw her as she used to visit me in the monastery two… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #5 – The Paintings Are Alive!
First Days Outside the Monastery #4 – London Underground Shock
Entering the London Tube system was a daunting experience. Here I was about to come into uncomfortably lose proximity to characters of every conceivable type… homeless, alcoholics, Goths who look like the walking dead, punks itching for a fight, cold-looking businessmen, scantily-dressed wild teenagers, heavy-metal freaks covered in tattoos and multiple body-piercings, and (possibly the most frightening)… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #4 – London Underground Shock
First Days Outside the Monastery #3 – Mobile Phones
I knew that mobile phones had become more popular during my stay in the monastery but I hadn’t realised just how much they were part of everyday life. Having got on to the train which would carry me away from Skanda Vale and into my new life, I settled down in my seat expecting a… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #3 – Mobile Phones
First Days Outside the Monastery #2 – Monochrome World
Negotiating the dilemma of the train ticket was the first wordly transaction I had to make by myself since leaving the monastery. After that I turned from the ticket counter to face the doorway which led through to the platform. Now that I had successfully secured my means of passage I was able to breathe… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #2 – Monochrome World
First Days Outside the Monastery #1 – Doubts
I’ll always remember what the woman behind the ticket counter at Carmarthen train station said to me the day I left Skandavale monastery. It had been one of the biggest decisions of my life to leave. Of course after 11 years of commitment there were some doubts about whether or not I was doing the… Continue reading First Days Outside the Monastery #1 – Doubts