Good evenink,
When most people begin a blog with the words "I'm taking a risk writing this..." it's because they are writing something controversial, possibly about a potentially 'hot topic'. I am indeed taking a risk in writing this, although purely because tonight I am hosting an open mic night in about an hour and a half, and I have yet to book train tickets for my gig in Leeds tomorrow, cook dinner, think a little bit about my set, perhaps (I am still umming and ahhing over whether to take my DADGAD-tuned acoustic as well as my standard-tuning guitar, it would be a difficulty to say the least, travelling, as I am, alone, so I'm erring on the side of not taking it - I actually made that decision whilst typing this, so thanks for being there with me). In short, I've got a lot on and so shouldn't really be sitting down to write a blog. But here I am. Writing.
I shall tell you for why, dear readers - happiness. As many of you will be all too painfully aware, I follow Twitter. I like to be aware of the tides of it, the moods of it, the general feel of the people whom I follow. At times like this, when our government is doing everything they pretty much can to systematically dismantle the things which we hold dear (pausing only to attempt charge us through the nose for things that we essentially need as functioning people in the 21st century), at times when openly racist attitudes are being uncovered in parts of both in America during the presidential election campaigns, or in the UK through hostile tweets from unthinking fools as a young footballer is resuscitated during a televised match (some of the most amazingly regressive attitudes have been shown to me this week - apalling), and at times when we have had as much as we can take from all sides, I'll be honest, the mood is low.
Twitter often shines, it is a lifeline through the darkness when I am feeling down (and there has been a fair bit of that as we've emerged from winter), and it still is. But a shadow has fallen across some of it as the Conservatives privatise everything and the Lords & Lib-Dems, against all odds, vote in favour, and as the press decide not to say much about things such as the NHS Bill but focus on instead on royal visits (I'm not against them, but y'know, priorities?). I see a darker gallows wit currently, and it weighs heavy. I still love Twitter, and speaking to all the people therein, it is a comfort, especially during long evenings & weekends of alone time, I have made friends that I value and many that I would love to meet in an actual room & shake hands with/cuddle. I did such a thing yesterday with a really nice chap, who is embarking on a meet/greet/photography project, and we spent yesterday afternoon shooting the breeze, talking about our respective pasts,views and interests, and by the time we'd finished eating dinner, we realised it had turned 10pm (not the 8-ish we were expecting), and hadn't taken a single photograph. (We did get some photos done in the end, and I look forward to seeing them, and seeing how his project develops, if you'll pardon the pun.)
See what I did there? That paragraph started horribly, but ended on something good. I want to write good things, happy things, things that when you read them, remind you that the world essentially is a good place, with good people in it, that barely hear about on news/current affairs, because by heavens, it doesn't make for proper reporting or keep the nation in check under a tarpaulin of misery. If you're reading this and nodding, then you are a wonderful, positive person who can see the good in things and move forwards in your life with that in mind, because as long as you're breathing, there is no way that you can let yourself be beaten down by people who ain't too bothered so long as there's money coming in. Yes it's unfair, yes it's unjust, but the only thing that'll keep them banging in coffin nails is darkness.
I don't talk about "current affairs" that often, because intellectually, I don't feel qualified to, I lose the confidence to talk about such things in any kind of way, but the thing I can do is be positive, be there for people, and make them smile. Which is what I'll continue to do.
Erm, right. This blog is perhaps a bit short, perhaps a bit nonsensical in places, and I'm sure there was more I wanted to say, but this has taken half an hour to write, and I have a powerful need to eat before being massively late to an event I'm supposed to be running (I won't be late really, just so long as I stop typi
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