In Shock: Thoughts About Twitter
I believe in the shared self through writing. It’s a medium that provides an unrivaled openness. I wrote this in hospital, waiting for news on my unwell grandfather who had suffered a stroke. He sadly passed aged 90 and a half less than a week after the event.
The below isn’t finished, but like a short tweet, I don’t think it needs to be a complete piece of prose.
Everything is ridiculously trivial. A vast blanket pulled over you eyes preventing you from seeing the truth. That spilled coffee? You’ll live. The person who bumps into you on the way to work. An accident. The burglary when you were out – things can be replaced. The football matches, the video games, the long nights in the pub.
They all conjoin to make the fabric of existence, but when it comes down to life and death, these trivialities wash away. In a daze you stumble along, unsure on procedure – should you cry, laugh, sit solemn in silence? How about occupy yourself with a book, your mobile phone or your twitter feed.
Pieces of pointless information flying by in the name of social. Anything but. An informational resource, yes, but tangible communication? Try again. It can bring together in ways unseen, but it subtly pulls you apart from the inside
“I’ll see you next week.” Online. Well, you won’t. Even with Skype you’re interacting through a screen, unable to touch. I strug
At this point we were called away by the Doctor and I didn’t finish my thoughts. Thanks for reading.
WWT Photography
Last weekend I went to the WWT (The London Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre) for a day of (cold) photography. I’ve added some of the photos to my 2012 showcase (look at the fluffy baby geese!), but a full set is available on Flickr here. I also met Iron Man on the Tube on the way home.
Well Said By A Man Who Lopped Off His Own Hand
People say a lot of silly things, but once in a while someone comes along and speaks the truth. The above was said by the man the film 127 Hours is based on – Alan Ralston. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such truer sentiment.
What Barack Obama’s Book Has Taught Me
How can your mission in life change in an instant?
I’ve grappled with my current journey a lot recently and it’s evident that a return to reading is changing everything. I’ve just finished Barack Obama’s autobiography (if you can call it that) and there’s one particular point that stands out.
The text overall is a fascinating insight into Obama’s life. Whether he’s discussing issues of race, his false start in life or his earlier years in Hawaii and Indonesia, he doesn’t hold back. I expected a political bore fest. What I actually got was a re-evaluation of what’s life’s all about.
Consumerism is a lie – I’ve always known this, but it’s a fact that’s very difficult to escape. The world is what it is and it takes a huge amount of effort to go against this conformity.
Before you ask, I’m not off to join a commune.
In Obama’s book he describes an encounter at 22 years old. A particularly astute man questions his career choice with the words, ‘don’t waste your youth. Don’t wake up old, tired and [for the sake of this argument] regretful.’
Our time on this earth is limited. The key is having no regrets. ‘Stuff’ is essentially pointless and recently I’ve been clearing out vast amounts of junk that doesn’t hold any value to me. Life is about experience. This TED talk is particularly relevant and well worth the watch.
I’ve always seen myself moving slowly towards a counterculture existence – a movement which begun with my discovery of beat poetry at University. I’ll get there eventually. It’ll be a modern version – living by 1950s counterculture ideals is impossible in 2012, but the belief that things don’t equal happiness is still easy to live by.
Sometimes there’s a point to these mini essays. Sometimes there’s no meaning behind them. Other times I write them for a future self that holds the key to the lock. Who knows.
Japan: One Year On
Wow. It was a year ago today. A whole year has passed. The trip’s memory is still fresh in my mind. It changed me forever and more than I’d ever think it could. It set me on track to begin an amazing journey. If you’re interested in what I did for those three weeks a year ago, be sure to check out my diary.
