SOME MUSINGS FROM ME ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NOTHING

I have tried on may occasions to write blogs and failed every time. I honestly don’t know what to write about. OK, thats not strictly true so i think what Im saying is, I dont know how much I am prepared to put out there. Despite the fact that I am a broadcaster, I am still a private person. I will have to be careful about what I want to say but I still have this urge to write .

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February 2021

So here I am.

Another first blog.

Many reading this will most likely expect the blogs to be music related. Yes, some will but I really wanted to use the blogs for other aspects of interest or just thoughts on whatever subject. That said, I really don’t know how deep I will go into my own life, if at all. It’s not that interesting anyway but I have always had this urge to write. I’m not a great reader, music was and is my main focus of interest. I like words though and it’s for that reason I’m going to try and keep a regular blog. I’m not trying to be controversial. I believe in live and let live. I don’t care if you are black or white, gay or straight etc etc As the saying goes…‘If your are nice to me I’ll be nice to you’. Simple as. If you don’t like what I write, that’s ok but if you do, great.

As I type, it’s coming up on one year since the world was flattened by Covid19. The pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe, plunging the world into a state of panic. Severe illness, death and a fear of the future. Respective governments reacted to varying degrees, some rising to the challenge while others failed miserably. Our own government started out well but since then, to me anyway, its like the different individuals are all trying to outdo each other in terms of a popularity race. That might be a bit harsh but its how it comes across. Our lives are on hold now for almost twelve months. At the start it seemed ok. Spring and summer were laid out in front of us all so getting out and about was relatively ok but then came autumn and winter and yet more lockdowns. People were fatigued and simply fed up with the dithering decisions of our supposed leaders.

How people dealt with lockdown varied obviously depending on individual circumstances. For many, getting fit was a priority now that they had a lot of spare time on their hands. New hobbies were discovered. House and garden maintenance were obvious wherever you went. People suddenly had all this time and in many cases, due to the rat race they had been caught up in, had no idea how to deal with doing nothing. I get that. Some people thrive on being busy and on the go all the time. However when the reason to be busy suddenly vanished, it was like standing on the edge of an abyss. All this time on their hands and not quite sure how to deal with it.

I honestly feel that many will have benefited without really knowing it. Away from the rat race. Time to stop and take in whats really important in their lives.

Now, I am very aware that that is a very simplistic view. I know that livelihoods and business have gone to the wall or are in a very bad way and I am in no way disregarding the stress and anxiety that will come with that. The phrase “we are all in this together” is of little comfort when you see years of hard work suddenly gone.

I am trying to write about the positives from this mess. For my part. the last 24 months have been very tough. Dealing with a deep grief and the pandemic and the seemingly endless lockdowns. I regard myself as a reasonably strong person but there is only so much a person can take. I take solace in the fact that friends stepped up and were there for me when needed. Not in a smothering way, which I dont like. They would pop the occasional text or message on social media. We all have our difficulties which have been exacerbated by this pandemic but the inclination to help each other is very strong. You learn rapidly who the good guys are. Likewise, you also learn who to shake off. Some thrive on negativity and they are the ones you lose from your life as soon as you can.

Trying to move on is hard enough at the best of times. A pandemic makes moving on with life, the only life you have, a lot more difficult . However, move on you must. Life has to go on. Twenty four months dealing with loss has finally taught me that. It was and is not easy but as I mentioned , some good friends helped me through. When this pandemic passes there will be one heck of a party !

Exercise, walking in particular, helped me through the mess. In summer I would walk for hours on end, racking up 10k after 10k. I got to the point where, if i missed out walking, I felt as if I was being lazy. Nonsense of course but its how it affected me. Consider the fact that some years ago I was twenty three stone and very unfit. I developed diabetes and was in a pretty bad way I still have the condition but I have learned how to cope with it, not always successful but learning all the time.

With the advice to get exercise during this pandemic ringing in everyone’s ears I hear people saying that there is nowhere to walk. My answer to that is simple, open the front door and ……. walk. A lifetime of sitting on the sofa and eating junk take a certain discipline and determination and no, its not easy !

And then there is music. I would have lost my head completely if it were not for music. Combine that with the walking and there you have a recipe for some kind of ‘normality’. Thin Lizzy of course accompany on many walks but not always. I do have other favourites and it all adds to the pleasure that music gives. It matters little what you like. If that music makes you happy, then that good enough. I made a conscious decision to seek out other musicians and styles.

Podcasts also. There are many out there on a vast variety of subjects. One that I will recommend is ‘Something Rhymes with Purple ‘ which is presented by Susie Dent, the lady in the corner on the TV show ‘Countdown’, and Gyles Brandreth. They talk about the origins of words and phrases.