What kind of butterfly are you?

As anyone who I'm friends with on Facebook can tell you, I have an addiction to doing silly quizzes, like 'What Disney Princess are you?' or 'What colour are you?' or 'What would your medieval profession be?' Recently I did a quiz to find out what kind of butterfly I was. Bizarre I know, but it was just for fun. The result I was given is that I'm a Papilio Onesimus, and the description of the type of person I'm supposed to be really pleased me. I'm not saying it's true, but it's certainly someone I'd love to aspire to become.

You Are a
Papilio Onesimus
You are a naturally helpful person, and you enjoy nurturing those around you. You sense what others need. You are quite gentle and sensitive. You may be easily wounded, but you can rise to the occasion when others need you.

You value beauty, and you try to have a personal environment that soothes your soul. You have an artist's eye. You may be an idealist, but you are more of a realist when it comes down to it. Your practicality has gotten you far.

This got me thinking.

Butterflies start off life as caterpillars and, in my opinion, caterpillars aren't exactly the prettiest of creatures. But if they could think I'm sure that they'd be very content with their lot, especially as all a caterpillar has to do is eat until it grows large enough to begin the next stage of its life. How scary must it be then when they start to find themselves being wrapped up into a chrysalis and undergoing the metamorphosis that transforms them into a butterfly.

But why am I writing this?

It occurred to me that in a way we all start off like 'caterpillars'. As children we hopefully haven't a care in the world. We take each day as it comes and are content to eat, sleep and do all the other things that children do. But then comes the time when we have to grow up and take our place in the world. Just like the caterpillar our bodies undergo a physical change and that in itself can be quite scary.

Then comes all the problems and responsibilities that come with being an adult. Very few people go through life without experiencing pain and heartache of some sort.  But if we can just bear with it we too can be transformed into something beautiful like the butterfly.

As someone living with Lupus, I can particularly relate to this. One of the symptoms of Lupus is a butterfly rash that can appear on your face. The butterfly is also one of the symbols used by Lupus related organisations. I've never really thought about this before, but living with Lupus and the challenges it brings does have an effect on the person you become. There's been many days when I would gladly have wrapped myself up and become a chrysalis. But hiding away from the world and all its problems, never solved anything.

The caterpillar when it emerges finally becomes what it was destined to be, a beautiful butterfly. I believe that, in a metaphorical sense, this can be our destiny too. So instead of fighting any changes or difficult circumstances in our lives, I think that we should embrace them. We can't avoid these things,so why not try to use them as an opportunity to become the 'beautiful butterfly' you were destined to be. Don't choose to remain a caterpillar, after all, not only are butterflies beautiful, they also have the ability to fly.




Take the quiz for yourself if you want. Just for fun.

http://www.survzilla.com/survey/2202140/What-Kind-Of-Butterfly-Are-You.html

Caterpillar pupa photo courtesy of http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml

Butterfly chart courtesy of BBC Springwatch.

Isabel Johnstone ©

How to follow paragliding.

With the girls outside the Venetian hotel, Las Vegas.

Goodness me. I can't believe that it's July already. This year is flying by. Since making a conscious decision about three years ago to 'get out there and start living,' time seems to be passing faster and faster. I don't have a 'bucket list' as such, but I've made up my mind to try as many new experiences as I can and so far this year is providing me with a fair amount of challenges and adventures.

View from the top of the Grand Canyon.

So far I've; gone on a girly holiday to Las Vegas, where I also visited the Grand canyon and Hoover Dam; performed with the choir before an adjudicator at the Chipping Norton music festival,we were awarded a distinction; been part of a group providing backing vocals on a CD by a local Witney singer called Phil McMinn and I've para glided off a 1,700m high mountain. All this while doing my first level 2 module for my Open University degree. They've all been very exciting and enjoyable in their own way, but so far the paragliding is definitely in the top spot.

Phil McMinn, centre wearing dark jumper and jeans, and backing singers.

Some of life's experiences and adventures can be hard to follow. Paragliding off a 1700m high mountain you would think would be one of them. In many respects it is. So what could a 'mature lady of a certain age' possibly do to follow a paragliding experience without feeling disappointed.


A. Sky diving? 
B. Pot holing?
C. Going into space?
D. None of the above.

The answer is D. None of the above.

In the two weeks following my paragliding experience I participated in something that I found not only equally as exhilarating, but actually more terrifying.What on earth could that be? Would you believe singing?

Me singing a solo at Woapa's west end musicals day.

Anyone who knows me or follows my blog will know that I'm no stranger to singing. In fact I do it all the time and have even been known to sing a solo or two. So what made this time different?

Earlier on this year, Brian, from Woapa, was approached by Opera Anywhere,  an opera company based in Oxfordshire and asked if the choir would be interested in forming the chorus for a couple of productions of the Mikado they were planning to perform. As it's not our usual style of music, Brian asked for a show of hands to see how many would be interested. Having never taken part in a Gilbert and Sullivan production before, I was one of the first to raise my hand. Another adventure to add to my list. This proved to be more of a challenge than I thought.

Mikado cast at St Leonard's church, Eynsham

Although familiar with some of the songs form the show, being an alto, I had to learn the alto part. Our rehearsal time consisted of 6 x 3/4 hour sessions, one of which I was unable to attend. I've never felt so unprepared for anything in my life. It was a bit like one of those nightmares where you're sitting an exam that you haven't studied for. But undeterred, I decided to go for it and just mime the bits that I was unsure of.

Waterperry amphitheatre.

We performed it twice. The first time in St Leonard's church, Eynsham, which was OK because it was dark and we couldn't see the audience. But the second time we performed it was at Waterperry open air amphitheatre. We started the performance at 6pm as there was to be an hour's interval to allow people to have a picnic. That was quite scary. Not only could we see the audience, but they were right beside us. This was a week after the first performance and I'd been practising all week and felt a bit more confident. That is, until I saw their faces and how close they were going to be. There was only a small gap between us and them.

Enjoying our picnic.

But I needn't have worried. The audience loved it. Some of them even joined in the singing.The sun shone and we had a lovely picnic during the interval.  All in all it was another wonderful experience.

Mikado finale at Waterperry.

So what's next? Well, I've applied and been accepted to perform as part of the chorus for a performance of Handel's Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall,  London. Fortunately it doesn't take place until the end of November so I have plenty time to practice.

It's hard work fulfilling my mission to prove that life can still be an adventure. But so much fun. that reminds me. I must find out when Phil's CD is going to be released.
Photos courtesy of:

Deryn Mungal
Brian Conroy
Isabel Johnstone