My trip to the UK a few years ago was one of those life changing events. The further into my past it becomes the more I realise its significance.

I owe it all to Tim Parkin from On Landscape Magazine who friended me through my work probably on social media. He saw something in my work and wasn’t afraid to say so. Afraid is totally the wrong word. For Tim actively searches for and encourages a whole world of inspiring photographers work. He then shares it through his magazine. There are a fair few of you who read this and now follow me because of Tim.

When we met in person, it was like finding a long lost brother. Connecting immediately and enjoying every moment we had together. I have never had such a special connection with someone whom I shared so much common interests, values, loves and ideas.

The series of events and people I met during my brief couple of weeks in the UK has had an ongoing butterfly effect that still resonates throughout my life. It would take me weeks to figure out let alone describe what has happened since.

You just never know where or how someone appears in your life, nor what their impact will be.

At this time when I am at home, and our social world becomes so tiny physically, our friendship with others, at a distance, matters so much.

I know I need to reach out more. Talk to my friends more and spend less time in my head. We have the most amazing technology at the moment that allows us a true global village. I wonder how this transformative event will bring this further into being.

We are all disillusioned with our governments, politics, the monetary systems, corporations, media, and our failure to treat some of the terrible inconsistencies in our world. We all are disappointed in our reactions to the impending changes through climate change.

My question is: ‘How can we make the most of this as a unique opportunity to reassess our lives and change the future for the better?’

In my isolation, that’s what I think about. How can we save the environment and our society from the horrific spiral that only a pandemic managed to slow us all down from.

Larch at Castlecraig in the Lake District, UK. Photograph and text copyright © Len Metcalf 2020