A few of the local people are feuding. They yelled at each other and did petty things. Silly stuff, mostly. It is news but it’s not new. Happens all the time, especially in small communities, but much more often in small communities in February. Winter light may be at it’s lowest in late December but being lighthearted is at it’s lowest ebb in late February.

The locals even have a name for it: ‘bushed’. It is not really being ‘bushed’ in the old, historical sense of the word which described the effects of isolation and seclusion as well as winter. We aren’t really all that isolated nor secluded. Even our winter is mild in that sense. We have cars, ferries and each other should we choose to avail ourselves. But we are still living in the winter bleaks somewhat isolated and remote from the vibrant social activity level we once knew. And winter is winter, after all.

We are ‘bushed’ in a way but it is Bushed-lite, actually.

A large percentage of people deal with it simply by going to Mexico (or China) for a month or so. That works.

Some feuds last awhile. Most ‘blow over’ by spring or summer. But each one nibbles a bit at the relationships of the parties over time if left unaddressed. They grow a bit more easily irritated by each other unless there is a re-bonding experience of some kind.

It’s a healing thing they need. That is why (I think) people all attend the market day and other social gatherings when they can. It is chance to ‘look in the direction’ of your irritant and see if there is still a flame burning. Usually there is but just an ember. By next year, conflict not rekindled, it will pass. And, in that way, the feud fades.

Just for the record: it is also a time for reaffirming good relationships, too.

But the most effective method of healing can’t really be organized or scheduled. It comes by way of a natural occurrence. Someone gets hurt and the ‘bad neighbour’ takes them into the hospital, a fire happens and the feuders show up and work side-by-side, a boat engine fails and the first one passing is ‘that bastard’ who helps out and does all the right things. That is how it heals the quickest.

We can actually create that kind of ‘quick-healing’ but not by way of social events. Not usually, anyway. The community – feuders, too – will unite to fight off a common enemy and, if victorious, the celebration sweeps up all the bad feelings and the slate is clean again.

One of the best things that happened to our area was ‘resisting’ the spraying of a portion of the island by a timber company. Another was the ‘fight’ against privatizing our rivers for General Electric to generate power and control the water. We were all feeling good about one another in those days.

And feel-good projects like fixing the community kitchen or renovating the Q-hut help keep the energies positive. It is not a hard prescription to follow. Not as a rule.

Until February comes along, anyway.