Category Archives: Life

I like the ups and downs of life

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It has been one of those weeks and it’s only Thursday, I had a nightmare start, forgetting minutes, power cable for the laptop and all those sorts of things. Then some great stuff happened, some fantastic times in lectures, in the past four days it seems that so much has happened. As I reflect on the rapid ups and downs of the last few days I feel far closer to God and as if I’ve been washed around with him in the sea of life. It has been a great process as I think about the current pulls of the tide and even with the stress of having the house on the market and all that entails I’d still rather be in the sea of life than anywhere else at the moment.

Is America being selfish?

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I thought it was time for rant, but I was so down about Americas attitude towards climate change and the Kyoto agreement, and hearing the news today about their attitude to Browns proposal for debt relief and the G8 just made want to scream. Is it an attitude held just at the top of government or is it a widely held protectionist position arising from the masses. The few Americans I know are as concerned about debt in Africa as many of my UK friends but what is the groundswell opinion. Has consumerism pervaded so deeply that now it is translated into what I can only describe as an overt SELFISHNESS that seems to be the motivating factor and attitude the white house holds as a plumbline when deciding on most issues but particularly towards debt and climate control.

Pimp my ride

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I got my first dose of this MTV show today. Whilst i liked what they did with the cars, the positive use of the word pimp reminded me of a link to the F word site that had a great article questioning the corruption of the word pimp into something associated with style, fashion etc. It reminded me to post the link.

The Tappers

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Great night out on Wednesday. The blokes I go to the pub with decided for a Christmas meal. In the end five of gathered for a sharpener in the local, then we taxied to the Cat in the Head (is this the weirdest name for a pub) Great food and five bottles of wine later we returned to the local for a swifty before closing. After good food and conversation we decided to try a new exploit and that in the new year we would inaugurate a pipe smoking club. (not that kind of pipe for all you youth workers on the edge out there) There was lots of conversations about which pipe would suit which person, (suggestions please). In the end we decided that we all main thing that drew us to the concept of pipes besides it general kitschness was we all liked the thought of tapping the pipe. It was ascertained I should be the chairman and in the new year we will have the first meeting of “the tappers�. That’s if anyone else remembers the conversation. There is also a couple of group who didn’t like the idea of smoking and my idea that they could have a liquorice pipe didn’t go down to well, so I need creative input on a way of including those who don’t smoke, any ideas along the tapping line.

D3parture

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Check out a mate of mine’s site today with a great a post of some retro Christian merchandising http://www.d3parture.blogspot.com/
Ben is a great mate and having just discovered his blog and his comment on my last post about labels, it reminds me how much we need to stay in touch with the people who matter to us, but how easy it is to let things slip. Some years ago I was chatting with a female friend how different friendship is for men and women, and how men can not see each other for years but still pick up where they left off. Her experience was very different Venus and Mars I think!

Label shorthand

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Labels are just short hand to save time in description. The trouble is when we start living up to the stereotype of that label. I have also posted a link to Georginas blog take “a dip in the deepend” you might label her a feminist, but that would just be lazy shorthand.

Constructive Deconstruction

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Bill Vaunghan said “if there is anything the nonconformist hates worse than a conformist, it’s another nonconformist who doesn’t conform to the prevailing standard of nonconformity”. I have been thinking about my journey and how much easier it is to deconstruct ideas, situations and concepts than offer alternatives. I can be hard on people who don’t offer suggestions or new approaches. Maybe critism is just that and constructive critism is when suggestions for change are offered. Disillusionment and dissatisfaction are powerful tools for change, but can easily promote inertia. Time for more constructive deconstruction, me thinks!

Exploring dissatifaction

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Apologies for the lack of blogs, half term and not been around much. Been looking at John Walkers post on the 24th Oct some great comments and posting, all sorts of stuff about motivation and new. I am astounded by the constant push for new when we haven’t really got our heads around the opportunities for personal growth in the present, let alone the past. John’s post (please read and the comments by following the link) reminded me of an artist friend of mine who adapted a piece of art he heard about (don’t you love third hand stuff). Anyway my mate turned his shed into an artwork. He cut a square hole in the roof and framed around the inside. Put a reclining chair in the shed, so when you sat down and looked up you saw this patch of sky framed as a picture. So often there is so much out there we miss how amazing each part is, or become dissatisfied with our part and fail to realise the value it has. Whilst this may be vague I cant help but connect it with Johns story in the Indian take away, and how much depth there is still to be explored from where we are, if we take the time to frame the right questions, and meet with others who may help find the answers, or at least help with more questions.