Wednesday, 4 January 2012
The Road Less Travelled
I lay in my Oxford bed wondering how I got here. I rest my head, enjoying steps back in time, pondering over the decisions that have led me here to the people and the experiences I've had over the past couple of months.
I decide it's partly due to my overriding penchant for new, different and sometimes random employment opportunity. And possibly a short attention span.
In recent years, I've earned varying levels of pay acting as rock DJ, music therapist, student support worker, sign language interpreter and I.T bloke, amongst others.
I've not yet found my career path. But I don't think that's me. I wouldn't want it to be. I want my life to be a mix mash of new, fresh experiences. A colourful patchwork quilt of existence. We're all continuously sharpening up our own 'emotional evolution', and maybe this is part of mine. As long as the bills are being paid and I'm enjoying this involuntary ride we call life, I'll probably carry on in the same vein.
After all, as Bill Hicks said.... 'It's just a ride'.
***Title of this post taken from the 1978 Morgan Scott Peck book of the same name. Vaguely relevant - check it out***
Friday, 30 September 2011
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Go on then! Sure! Certainly! Of course!
Books are enjoyable, informative and gives one something to do when the internet goes down. But not many actually improve and make life more exciting, injecting little sparks of excitement into the smallest things. Danny Wallace's 'Yes Man' has done that for me recently and I don't what I appreciate more - the comedy of his anecdotes or the effect it's having on my daily life.
Like many of us, I'm all too used to waving away invites, requests or suggestions in favour of non-excuses such as 'I should probably save my money', 'can't really be bothered, mate' or 'I don't think the bus goes there'. Well, I'll tell you now - the bus does go there and you never know who you'll meet on the way.
Rather than going to the extreme and saying yes to penis extentions and Nigerian email scams, I've allowed a 'normal' week to be given a lick of optimistic paint. It's like putting on a pair of yellow lensed sunglasses and looking at stuff. Try it and my comparison will make sense. My weekends have become socially packed, and I've not made any effort. I've just put aside my misanthropic tendencies and replaced them with that little word. A Facebook notification of an event invite from a friend brings a smile to my face. Not because it's something I want to go to (at this point I haven't discovered what the event is!), it's because I know I'm going. No excuses. Turned out to be a Board Games evening in a Bath pub https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=118409294928965 Hmmm :/ Fuck it, I'm in. I'll find a dusty 1994 edition of Scrabble from my childhood bedroom. See you there!
It's funny and inspirational. Do buy the book. Don't watch the film. For those of you who have read it, I have my own 'Ian' who is an inspiration in themselves. So thanks to them for giving me their copy.
Yesyesyes!
Like many of us, I'm all too used to waving away invites, requests or suggestions in favour of non-excuses such as 'I should probably save my money', 'can't really be bothered, mate' or 'I don't think the bus goes there'. Well, I'll tell you now - the bus does go there and you never know who you'll meet on the way.
Rather than going to the extreme and saying yes to penis extentions and Nigerian email scams, I've allowed a 'normal' week to be given a lick of optimistic paint. It's like putting on a pair of yellow lensed sunglasses and looking at stuff. Try it and my comparison will make sense. My weekends have become socially packed, and I've not made any effort. I've just put aside my misanthropic tendencies and replaced them with that little word. A Facebook notification of an event invite from a friend brings a smile to my face. Not because it's something I want to go to (at this point I haven't discovered what the event is!), it's because I know I'm going. No excuses. Turned out to be a Board Games evening in a Bath pub https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=118409294928965 Hmmm :/ Fuck it, I'm in. I'll find a dusty 1994 edition of Scrabble from my childhood bedroom. See you there!
It's funny and inspirational. Do buy the book. Don't watch the film. For those of you who have read it, I have my own 'Ian' who is an inspiration in themselves. So thanks to them for giving me their copy.
The New Red Hot Chili Peppers
Last week I was clicking around YouTube and stumbled upon a recent live performance. Watching with concentrating eyes I felt something was missing. Not just former guitarist Mr John Frusciante, (still hurts to type that) but something missing within the band. It felt like the passion, energy and general guts of, how I see it, the true four were replaced with a beautiful but somewhat weaker, looser version of the Peppers.
On the other hand, this admittedly biased observation hasn't distracted me from what's good in the Red Hot camp these days. I said beautiful and I meant it. Yes, it's different. Yes, I prefer how it was before. But its important to put this aside when listening to the latest effort 'I'm With You'. Josh Klinghoffer has breathed an alternative and real sweet spirit into the group, and if you allow yourself to separate yourself from expectations, a very good album by a fresh sounding band awaits you.
But, back to that live stage. Playing 'Californication' It's here you see four men not 100% comfortable in their own skin. Chad doesn't seem to be enjoying smashing the shit out of his kit, Flea looks like he's rehearsed those stage moves and Anthony remains static with not a lot of heart behind the vocals. Meanwhile you can tell Josh is doing his upmost to perform but is sounding more like a guitarist from a RHCP tribute act, occasionally out of time and missing the odd note.
I'm interested to see what the future holds with Josh and the old boys. Don't pack it in, whatever you do! The live performances will only improve with time. The new monster needs to find its feet. Besides, they were Red Hot before Frusciante, and they'll be Red Hot after him.
On the other hand, this admittedly biased observation hasn't distracted me from what's good in the Red Hot camp these days. I said beautiful and I meant it. Yes, it's different. Yes, I prefer how it was before. But its important to put this aside when listening to the latest effort 'I'm With You'. Josh Klinghoffer has breathed an alternative and real sweet spirit into the group, and if you allow yourself to separate yourself from expectations, a very good album by a fresh sounding band awaits you.
But, back to that live stage. Playing 'Californication' It's here you see four men not 100% comfortable in their own skin. Chad doesn't seem to be enjoying smashing the shit out of his kit, Flea looks like he's rehearsed those stage moves and Anthony remains static with not a lot of heart behind the vocals. Meanwhile you can tell Josh is doing his upmost to perform but is sounding more like a guitarist from a RHCP tribute act, occasionally out of time and missing the odd note.
I'm interested to see what the future holds with Josh and the old boys. Don't pack it in, whatever you do! The live performances will only improve with time. The new monster needs to find its feet. Besides, they were Red Hot before Frusciante, and they'll be Red Hot after him.
Tuesday, 27 September 2011
Getting Started
Getting started. The hardest thing.
This is my very first blog, and rather that hitting the ground running with a burst of creativity and literary fantasticness, instantly uploading pretentious social commentary to rival my blogging peers, I instead took a well deserved Facebook break after writing the title.
*sigh*
I'll do a proper blog. At some point.
This is my very first blog, and rather that hitting the ground running with a burst of creativity and literary fantasticness, instantly uploading pretentious social commentary to rival my blogging peers, I instead took a well deserved Facebook break after writing the title.
*sigh*
I'll do a proper blog. At some point.
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