The People
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02 February 2011 Stop, stop I'm making myself feel glum I have this sometimes self defeating work ethic. The more tired I become, the more determined I become to keep working. This usually leads me to get very angry with myself as I stare at computer screen, unable to think let alone write anything of value. 10 December 2010 Lets campaign for low rise car parks I had lunch the other day with a guy I've been doing business with. I'll call him Dave, although that's not his name. He's really passionate about the social enterprise he runs, despite having encountered lots of challenges along the way. He's what I'd call a reluctant entrepreneur. Until the large organisation running the retail outlet he managed pulled out, he was quite happy as an employee. Only when angered by the closure of a business he knew had potential did he find the courage to become an entrepreneur. He was equally angry to see the team he'd built over the years all told they no longer had a job. 12 November 2010 The urge to dominate It has to be said that I'm feeling high at the moment. My recent dark spell has been followed by an extreme high. When I'm high, I can do almost anything and find my powers of persuasion quite breathtaking. These feelings of invincibility are potentially very dangerous because I'll want to promise the earth because right now it seems more than possible to do just that. 27 October 2010 Don't be an elephant! Twelve years ago I moved my family into a caravan and started a very ambitious barn conversion. I'd recently started a new business and soon the whole thing became too much for me. A good friend Keith had agreed to act as project manager as he worked in construction and his firm led on the works.... 08 October 2010 Mirror, mirror on the wall It's almost impossible to shave or apply make-up without a mirror. We all accept the need to study our reflection as we prepare to face the world outside our bathroom. That mirror above our sink enables us to see ourselves as others do, as well as providing the opportunity to make adjustments and subtle changes with razor or lipstick. 28 September 2010 What would you like me to be today? They say it takes two to tango and of course it does. You can't dance on your own but how do you choose your partner? Do you consider yourself the next Fred Astaire or are you clumsy with two left feet? Moreover, your perception of yourself might differ from that of your prospective dancing partners. Who is right? We all tend to see ourselves differently to the way others see us. For one thing we know ourselves far better than others do. That's obvious perhaps, as we spend 24hrs a day in our own company. But you can have too much of a good thing and begin to take yourself for granted. 23 September 2010 My horse, my horse I've been thinking about horses this week. They're actually quite controversial beasts, having played an integral role in our civilisation for more thousands of years. Initially, they provided transport to the wealthy, enabling them to travel further than the peasants. Now they are objects of pleasure, raced for huge stakes or ridden for fun. 27 August 2010 Making time I love my wife dearly, but finding time for those all important days out is becoming increasingly difficult. I've reached the age when a walk along the prom, holding hands and talking about nothing in particular is a perfect pastime. Sure I'll dive into Laser Quest with the youngsters and pick up lots of bumps and bruises, but I am now 55 and so happy to learn to slow down now and again. Going slow is also very good for my mental health, as when busy, my brain flashes and rings like a pinball machine. Manic creativity is not sustainable for long! 24 August 2010 Something for the ladies Last week I described my sudden urge to have a Hugh Grant moment. It's what generations of crestfallen politicians have called a 'moment of madness.' A couple of your emails pointed out in no uncertain terms that this was my most blokish blog yet and could I please put my slippers back on and get back where I belong. 20 August 2010 Letting go In common with many depressives I find relaxing difficult. In fact I'm more likely to spend a Sunday afternoon wondering why I want to relax than actually doing it. This can make me rather tired and very boring! So last weekend I experimented with letting go. I had three young helpers, my wife's nephews and niece. We went to Cleethorpes, one of Britain's least pretentious seaside resorts to play Crazy Golf, walk on the beach, paddle, eat chips and become entranced by the myriad of noisily flashing lights in the amusement arcade. |