Finding contentment

I've always struggled to understand exactly what I want to do with my life. As a boy, I had the usual dreams of playing football for England, but I never had the desire, as so many young boys seem to, to be a fireman or a train driver or any other cliche you care to imagine. Just to clarify here, I was one of those picked last every lunchtime and so my football dreams were always going to be unrealised!

This situation has never really changed now I have (relatively speaking of course) grown up. The jobs I have had have been interesting and occasionally challenging and I have not gone short of a bob or two, but none of it has been fulfilling. Nothing really screams 'contentment'.

It is time to change all that. I am moving house on this coming Friday to a place in a quiet little North Norfolk village. A nice victorian cottage with a very long and useful back garden backing on to fields. The back garden is what has got me thinking about the future, as I will be out of my current position in the months ahead and needing a new challenge.

I've done the hellraiser bit in my teens and twenties - anyone reading this who knew me then will be able to testify to that, and I think I did it pretty well actually, but with 40 approaching hedonism seems an urealistic goal in life. If nothing else, it makes me ache. No, now is the time for something much more relaxing, something fulfilling and peaceful and gentle. Something that matches the new place.

What do I like? I like good food. What do I like most about good food? Knowing where it came from and that it isn't mass produced, over packaged and with all the flavour and character taken out by dint of travelling too far, for too long in artificial conditions. I've got enough space to grow loads of my own food. Even on the tiny plot I have at the moment I managed to get a fair bit grown, so on the huge plot basic maths has me excited. Not only that, it's big enough comfortably for a few chickens (at least two who will be called Doris and Enid but hopefully 6). You see where we are going here? That's right! Contentmentville.

The hope is this sedentary lifestyle of self-provision will inspire me in my more artistic bent and thaty housed in a nice little office space at the tail end of the garden I can write to my heart (and wallet's) content. Theoretically, this is a barnstormingly good move for me. I also have my eyes on the field to the rear of the property - now that really would be snapped up if I get the chance. Stage two of 'permanent smile' is a small flock of sheep. Well looked after, happy sheep who provide top quality organic meat from a recognised quality upbringing (that's me). If not that field, then one of the farms on the opposite side of the road might have some spare room to rent.

So, there we have it. Retired hellraiser goes pastoral. I'm looking forward to the move immensely. Just one thing missing from the happy picture - I'll tell you her name when I find her.