Patience

For those of you that know me...You know that patience isn't my strong point.

I get impatient waiting for people, I talk fast, I don't like having to explain myself over and over, I don't get it when people don't get a film plot or understand a joke.

Sorry. I know it's not good. It's just the way I am.

So isn't it funny that this year - I have had to be so patient. It's nearly, but not quite, killed me.

My life has quite literally been in other folk's hands and subject to their timetable.

Last night I had an email re. a job. In essence it said - sorry - we haven't made up our minds. When we do, we'll tell you.

There is nothing for me to do but do a headstand, play with my meditation tool and wait.

True to ourselves

What do you do when you see a friend who is not being truthful to himself?

So evident to everyone but him.

Not my place to say/push/cajole or confront.

People have to realise and be their truth - which means taking a risk and being vulnerable.

A lot of people would rather live in the shadows, than the sun it appears. That's because the sun warms and sometimes, burns.

Roma

Went back to Rome, the sun shone, saw my friends, played in the park, lost a pub quiz, did some work, looked at a wonderful view, saw a copy of the Turin shroud, a nail from THE cross (not any old cross) and apparently a bit of the crown of thorns.

Amazing how it all becomes one.

Oh - and the picture is feeling the lurve from Missy L.

Numbers from this year...

Three trips to Rome
One to Switzerland
Two to India
One to Spain
One to Washington DC
One to Paris
One to Amsterdam this week

25 job interviews
10 for jobs that didn't exist
3 verbal job offers that went nowhere
Untold amounts of rejections

8 acupuncture sessions
4 dates

Greetings Cyber Visitors

I have had a comment from Brazil and one from - well - it could be anywhere -but he says he is a gorilla from the Congo so let's leave it at that. Funny how he seems to know a few Yiddish words this gorilla though -"tookus" meaning bottom, bum, booty ...is apparently in this gorilla's vocab.

I am so pleased to have some foreign guests. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.

I must find something more interesting to write about now.

Oh by the way - here is my stat of the year. I have had TEN interviews in the last year for jobs that HAVE NOT ACTUALLY EXISTED. Yes-believe that.

They did at the time of interviewing but somehow they all disappeared in restructures/internal recruitments/recession etc.

How INSANE is that.

Friendship

Here is the thing. I thought friendship was a constant.

But according to a few friends of mine, I was stupid to think this.

They say that people with partners and kids have different spheres of influence. As a friend from the past, you are way down the list - or a bit like an onion - on the outer ring.

They may still care but if your life so different to theirs - there is little point of reference now.

Life priorities have changed and whereas once your were each other's constant to party with, chat to, cry with, discuss life, laugh and hang with - they don't need you now.

Is that true?

If so - it makes me sad. But perhaps I was the last one to realise this?

Obi-Wan Kenobi

According to Facebook, I am Obi Wan Kenobi super hero. So much for being something cool and sexy in a skin tight lycra suit.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
You are smart and kind. You aren't mean to anyone and always think ahead. You don't like war but you aren't a hippie. You only use violence in defence and only rarely hurt people. You are worried about your friends and you are very honorable and obey your master.

Virtual Worlds

It had to happen – the digital “whodunnit” crime.

A middle aged piano teacher from Japan was arrested recently for murdering her virtual husband by hacking into his computer and erasing his carefully constructed character from Maplestory, a role playing game. Her crime in real life was hacking into his computer.

A few weeks ago, in a less sinister but bizarre scenario, a friend of mine was swooped upon and passionately kissed in Second Life, another virtual world.

I then switched on the radio and happened to hear assorted food chemists in a happy frenzy discussing modern day equivalents of Roald Dahl’s everlasting gobstoppers and sticks of chewing gum that taste like three course meals.

All of this got me thinking. Where and how do we draw the boundaries between real and virtual?

Our most current example is of course, our virtual money markets. Not that I can claim to understand exactly how they work or why they collapsed like a pack of cards, but it smacks of virtual living gone wrong.

The reason all of this bothers me is that I went to visit the Imperial War Museum.

Entering the hall I was struck by the sheer size of First and Second World War tanks, the hanging bombers and massive guns. I was spellbound by the old helmets and the tattered soldiers’ playing cards, lighters, photos and diaries.

I felt somewhat overcome. Everything seemed too big, too frightening, too ...real.

However, in some ways, it was the innocuous signs outside the Holocaust exhibit and the Crimes Against Humanity sections that made me pause the longest.

“This exhibition is not recommended for children under 14. Parents wishing to take younger children into the Exhibition may do so at their own discretion. Children must be closely supervised at all times.”

Even the last gory Batman movie “The Dark Knight” had a 12A certificate.

So back to the exhibits.

In some ways they were frightening and distressing but only because they refused to hide historical facts. I browsed stories, photos, testimonials, video clips, speeches and poignant remains of shoes, clothes, letters and drawing from concentration camps.

It was a reminder how recent the Holocaust was and how many wars and genocides around the world we’ve created since.

I find it continually amazing that we are so eager to shelter people from the real world - but we are so ready to enter into virtual ones.

What does that really say about us and has it done any good?