Let Christmas be fun

Well the second post was so bleedin' difficult I haven't been back for two years.....

So where are we at? Grumping is the new cool. Well maybe not new and maybe not cool, but it's easier to be grumpy than happy. BUT it is two days and a bit to Christmas. We will have religion coming out of our ears (and perfume out of our pores if the adverts are to be believed) and the charities will be doing their best to guilt trip us into giving at this time of year. Nothing wrong with either of these but do we have to feel bad if we ignore them.

Let's start with the religion bit. For many these days it is not the faith that is at fault but the religions themselves. If they believed in the same things that they preached then maybe they wouldn't be such a turn off; homosexuality, money and the sanctity of life being the big three in no particular order. But does Christmas have to be about these things to the exclusion of all others. No, no and thrice no. It is well documented that the origins of the festival are probably pagan with regard to modern celebrations, Saint Nick and all that. So why should we have to acknowledge the birth of Christ? We shouldn't. It is rare in the modern world that there is a truly joyful period without rancour or conflict. So we should have the opportunity to just be happy and the religions that preach their morals (most often with excellent intentions but with exceptions that are big enough to really matter) do so without expectation of return. Let everybody be happy in their own way and not be pressured into having to conform.

And so to the charities. I applaud them for their commitment to raising money for the poor and needy. It can be a cut throat business not seen by the general public (whose banner is the biggest and most obvious at the site of the latest disaster) but the results are often greater than the sum of their parts. But should they be going for it to such an extent at this time of year. Obviously I think no or I wouldn't be mentioning it at this time. It is a time of joy and merriment, these times are few and far between. In the modern world fun is almost a banned item so lets have the opportunity to enjoy it when we can. So what should the worthwhile causes be doing? If you have to push it then do so for the rest of the year but February should be the peak. Yes we should all give, but lets save Christmas for the celebration of us and be generous the rest of the year.

Just don't expect to see me in church.

The difficult second post

Having found that the powers that be have a method of stopping posts being written at work, it has become a luxury to have the time to post. As a reult it is my policy that I will alternate between the good and the bad, too much of the ranting is never goodfor the soul.

So where is the good?

That has become a difficult search in this day and age. As a bloke I could look at the recent sport, but being English there is no hope....period. The weather isn't suitable, even for ducks, and 'nuff said about the news.

After casting around it would seem that I have no further to look than to myself. I apologise now if this seems to be something of a 'holier than thou' discussion of my health and well-being but I have a story to tell and this is my chance. It is exactly 2 years to the day that I gave up smoking, it was a long term addiction from the age of 14 and yet giving up was not difficult. All other attempts previously had been, by definition, unsuitable for me (or more likely I was too weak) and yet it was a purely psychological model that succeeded. It was an Allen Carr book that provided the solution; I will say that I did have some considerable inclination to give up when I started reading the book, but it provided the catalyst I needed.

I will not deny that there were times that the temptation was vast, but it was never insurmountable; however, I will always be an ex-smoker, it is not a label to be lost. Since then I feel that all I have done is eat, at least that's what my expanding waist line would suggest. So I have now entered a new phase. I weigh 14 stone which I estimate makes me 2.5 stone overweight for my build. Never one to stint on a challenge I am now training to lose weight, with the intention of completing my first triathlon to a decent standard by August and next year the Sherborne Ironman. It is a training goal that I will weekly update; my feelings, my weight, my accomplishments and my failures, all will be here. So till next time, but fear not the cynicism will return anon.... as will sopme good out there, on here.

The new dawn

In sitting here wondering what I am going to discuss, ponder or in general muse over, I have covered many contemporary topics. However, it is perhaps best in this period of blog immaturity (it, not me, though I sometimes wonder) to just consider what, and whom, I am doing this for. This will be my only Blog; I will cover every topic I think that deserves my comment here and here only. I think I may already be guilty of overstating myself as I am sure that there will be matters covered that I don't deserve to be associated with. As for whom, that I don't even know right now, probably the answer is me.

I was considering listing the issues and areas that I may consider here but they will appear in their own good time. What I can do is generalise myself to you the reader. I approach my 35th birthday with a sense of trepidation shared, I suspect, by anyone in my position. I certainly don't feel my age mentally but I can feel the physical changes that have started over the last few years. The creaking knees, spreading waist and grumpy spirit have made themselves known. But, I think I reached a moment of enlightenment at some point in recent times. It was the aforementioned waist that did it; I am not going down the complete new wardrobe route for anyone. It had to go. I say had; it's more a case of has.

I am no holier-than-thou veggie who will rant and rave at you about the virtues of an aubergine, I am doing it in my own good time and with purely selfish motives. You can eat what you like as far as I am concerned, health is a personal issue. Enough of that for now, I'm sure that the subject will come up again...