Saturday 9 August 2008

Piss, vinegar and CJ Stone

Today I rediscovered an old friend. In a manner of speaking.. One of my favourite writers is a chap called CJ Stone. I first stumbled accross his writing in the guardian column "Housing Benefit Hill". Truth be told it was this column that confirmed me as a guardian reader, for a while. When the column ended (or was dropped, I'm not quite sure) the guardian seemed to lose a little bit of it's edge, an edge it hasn't really found since. I'm not saying that the guardian was defined by the column, but it was a good fit with the editorial style of the time, when there were not too many writers that had a good word to say about the miners, the travellers, the rave scene, reactionary legislation and all of the other things that were important to me at the time. Another thing that endeared me to his writing was a kind of attached detachment to the subjects he covered - yes, I know it's a poor description, but I can't do any better. It seemed that he was seeing the people and event through my eyes rather than his. Even now the writing reminds me of what we have lost in terms of political awareness and the willingness to protest and party. I'm older, I know, but I doubt that the generation behind me has as much of the piss and vinegar that we seemed to be full of. Or Shepherd Neame (meh, give me Theakstons any day). "Piss and vinegar? No thanks, I'll have a nice shiraz and a doobie thanks awfully."

Anyway, read his stuff. It's good. Fierce Dancing is a particularly good book, and if by any chance somebody is reading this thinking that they have a copy that I lent to them, I'd like it back. Either of them. That'll teach me to lend books after midnight.

Thursday 7 August 2008

Many boats, one river.


Sorry. It's not you, it's me. I haven't been taking this blogging thing seriously. I just needed a little space. But I'm back now. For better or for worse.
So what's been happening? Life. Like a boat trip, it moves on, it carries you along on the current, and you get to look at things from a different perspective every single minute. It's good that perspectives change - it says as much about the subject as the object that such a simple twist can create profound effects. It says to the soul "I change, you change, we all change." And not even god (intentional non-capitalisation) can control it. We can swim with the current, or against it but you have to acknowledge that it's there. Not that I'm saying swimming against the tide (so to speak) is a bad thing, far from it - it can be a noble, enriching, life defining action. To deny or oppose change is as valid as accepting it - it's just that you have to pick your battles.
So am I accepting it? Ask me tomorrow.

My perspective changed recently - slightly but perceptibly, and perhaps I am a little happier for seeing that he grass I always thought to be greener actually isn't... "Ha!" you say - he's just got round to counting his blessings..and well, yes I have. I have plenty of blessings - a fine and foxy missus, top kids, good friends, a roof over my head, food on the table, and a lot of toys.. But you don't appreciate these things until.... until.... well, in my case, until ................
The Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to physical things, but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn't behave the way we think it should and our lives don't conform to our expectations.

Thanks to PaintMonkey for reminding me about Buddhism in his blog.