Reflections
Why aren’t you writing any love songs or poems?
A number of people have asked me lately “Why aren’t you writing any love songs or poems?” On one level the answer to that is obvious. But on another level I reply: “Actually, every single one of them is a love song or poem because much love (as well as blood, sweat, passion & tears) goes into making them. For love is infinitely more than merely floating on a cushion of air or firing Cupid’s arrows everywhere!”
When you can see Everything too Clearly
When you can see (into, through and behind) everything too clearly it can either blind you so much that you’d rather see nothing at all (mostpeople – though mostotherpeople are blinded already) or it can shock you so deeply that you’re forced to overhaul everything you think, understand, do and are. But then you’re faced with three choices: Suicide, endless ironic laughter at the twin realities of absurdity and hypocrisy or “I think I’ll go to Bali and disappear into the volcanic mountains forever”.
The Next Time you are asked to Play for Free
Very nicely put! Far too many people expect creative artists of all kinds to play for free. (Imagine if they asked the plumber to mend their pipes for nothing!). Well it’s time to turn the tables on them. Read below! 🙂
Leadership in the times ahead
Just brainstorming a pile of thoughts & feelings about the need to prepare for leadership in the times ahead. I don’t mean political leadership because that’s part of the problem. I’m referring to the kind of personal guidance & support that many are going to be needing when the shit really (openly) starts to hit the fan across the world. There will be much confusion, fear and questioning. There will be betrayal amongst friends and relatives. It will be a time of testing. I’ll be speaking about all this at a gathering of people on Saturday. It’s a subject very close to my heart.
I never cease to be amazed by my native language
I never cease to be amazed by my native language. The richness bedazzles me! I often trawl the thesaurus just for fun and coming on the synonyms for the word “fool”, I there find a real cornucopia of imagination. For your amusement, here they are: “Blockhead, fat-head, dunce, dimwit, simpleton, halfwit, idiot, cretin, imbecile, ignoramus, moron, dupe, stooge, butt, laughing-stock, clown, comic, buffoon, jester, muggins, gull, Jack-fool, jackass, lemming, mooncalf, soft, softy, Tom-noddy, tomfool, punk, gowk, mumchance, barmpot, gump, haverel, coof, dottle, eejit, cluck, dumb-cluck, yap, old cony, fon, fondling, want-wit, patch, sot, wigeon, lack-brain, bauble, capocchia, snipe, nincompoop, ass, chump, ninny, neddy, clot, dope, twit, nitwit, nit, sucker, mug, twerp, birdbrain, lamebrain, knuckle-head, silly-billy, berk, Charlie, gubbins, sap, saphead, wazzock, dum-dum, coot, goat, head-banger, bampot, lunkhead, chowderhead, putz, doofus, dill, boofhead, wally, jerk, dumbo, muppet, pillock, prat, dork, geek, plonker, git, nerd, nerk, nelly, goop, josser, nig-nog, sawney, schlemiel, turkey, cloth head, dipstick, goof, kook, tosspot, jughead, schmo, dingbat, dweeb, prick, dickhead, cake.”
Depths of Despair & the Highest Ecstasy of Joy
Is it possible to experience being in the darkest depths of despair and the highest ecstasy of joy all at the same time? I can tell you that the answer is “Yes”. It is a very strange state to be in – like feeling utterly hopeless and wildly optimistic in the same instant. Yet it isn’t destructive but somehow not only seems totally natural but also enhances creativity. It is as if everything bleak and everything bright are superimposed on each other… without a winner. Nothing is being denied or hidden. They just are what they are…
Abell 1835 IR1916
Occasionally, I wish I was a normal guy who lived a regular life. But I’ve been too far out for too long to be able to get back. Once you’ve been past Abell 1835 IR1916 nothing ever seems the same again…
Unbuckle the Limits
It’s long past time to unbuckle the limits I’ve imposed on myself so as not to be too outrageous and footloose. The time has come to think, feel, say and do things which I’ve never thought, felt, said and done before. The extreme brevity of life (a gift) dictates that I must cast off all chains (even those which do not appear to be chains – of which there are many in our lives). I’ve never been into conformity or conventionality but now I’m turning it all up a few notches and more. Fear nothing. Do anything. Normalcy is madness. True friends will understand.
We do not need to be defined by what others think of us
We do not need to be defined by what others think of us – by how many flattering comments or “likes” we receive from sycophantic adulators – by how many profile-views we get, by how famous we become or how financially successful we are. For all that is merely superficial, reinforcing narcissism, which easily becomes ego-boostingly addictive and has no value in reality. We should be defined, firstly, by our attributes of love (such as kindness, selflessness, humility, compassion, generosity – what we give of ourselves); secondly, by our willingness to grow in grace, insight and awareness (the maturity process which has nothing to do with playing at being “grown-up” but means evolving into who we are meant to be); thirdly, by our creativity (what we heartingly draw on in ourselves to make something exist which wasn’t there before). It is these which should be our starting-points for self-definition. There are others too, which follow in their wake… ❤
The Most Humbling Aspect of Human Existence
The most humbling aspect of human existence is that it is possible to believe in something so passionately that one would be willing to die for it or even kill for it – yet that something turns out to be just another pile of shit. Self-delusion is such a real possibility that we must question everything until no stone is left unturned…
The Naked Troubadour 