I’m not sure I’m your typical Eminem fan, but life’s full of surprises. And, as in everything else in my life, I have pretty eclectic tastes. This one line “there goes gravity” from the brilliant song Loose Yourself has been spinning around my head for days.
Such a smart songsmith that Eminem – a brilliant poet really. I admire anybody who can capture the magnitude of a sentiment and craft it into a few carefully chosen words that erupt with meaning and passion. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
This week I lost my footing – metaphorically speaking I hasten to add. I woke up and wham the World suddenly felt so very sad/ so very shaky. Is it the season as the bleakness of winter edges in? Is it the political climate, most especially in the UK, which feels so very dangerous, so chaotic, so very un-British. I don’t think I was alone in shedding a tear watching a stream of talented, brave, committed female MPs leaving politics because the price to their well being and precious families had become too high.
When did things get quite so horrible?
And I thought of my fellow human beings who may also be struggling with the World. Those who wake up feeling sad, but may also have a magnitude of other challenges too. So many of you write to me and I’m honoured that you feel able to share your sadnesses, your losses, your worries. We all need somebody to talk to sometimes – life is just way too difficult to not have that.
Reasons to be cheerful
I wish not to be glib, but I wanted to sketch out some reasons to be cheerful – or in point 5 to find a way of living with our tears. Although please feel free to delete as sometimes being sad really is the only sane thing to feel in this mad mad World. Anyway here goes:
- New TV drama on Tuesday. Gold digger. Mid-life woman starts affair with man 15 years younger. Family not amused. Sounds right up my street https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/kb8yny/gold-digger–s1-e1-her-boy/
- Head out of the City and marvel at the Autumn colours in full glorious display. Could make one believe in God (almost – I’m still way too angry for this one). Certainly a reminder of what a beautiful country we still have.
- My favourite caustic commentator Camilla Long – her election commentary is sharper than anything else I’ve ever read.
- Trips on the London tube (granted this needs to be out of rush hour when it turns into a manifestation of hell on earth) . But at the right time of day it’s fast, friendly and super clean. And I just love the happy messages they put on the station – nothing like the English sense of humour. Having recently moved back into the City – I LOVE the tube.
- The heavenly haunting new album Ghosteen by Nick Cave. I’ve always loved his music, but it took on another dimension for me after he lost his son Arthur in a dreadful accident. I look to him to make some sense of such loss. His words as he feels the continued presence of his son, “a little white shape dancing at the end of the world”. Cave assures us he’s coming home “on the 5.30 train”. Why not believe in ghosts? “There’s nothing wrong with loving something you can’t hold in your hand,” Cave muses, on the title track. And Arthur’s analogue, the Ghosteen, appears from time to time, to say: “I am beside you.”
Please remember that you never know what somebody is going through. Sometimes it may be beyond your wildest dreams. So above all else be kind. It could make all the difference.
What I’m reading – Just dipped back into A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, in preparation for the annual book club festival. Definitely my book of the year.
What I’m watching -Saturday night in with the man watched the Quentin Tarantino 1997 film Jackie Brown. All about a sazzy middle aged woman who gets involved with drug runners. Fabulous! 5 stars from me and gave me a few cheeky ideas;)
Book and film recommendations very welcome. Winter is such a great time to catch up on these.
Have a wonderful week
Debbie x
Life in the Middle Lane 
Hello Debbie
As I’ve got older, I find I my mood is really affected by the dark evenings and the cold. I could quite easily hibernate for the winter! I have to find positive things to lift my mind. As you say, appreciating the gorgeous autumn colours, especially when kicking through leaves with my grandsons. Curling up with a good book. Lighting the wood burner in our cottage.
It’s a sad time of year for me, both my parents died close to the end of the year, and watching the old soldiers on Remembrance Sunday makes me very emotional. And on the subject of remembrance, there is a candle lit and a prayer written for a beautiful girl (on blue card, of course) now hanging on the memory tree in our church, as promised.
Keep writing. I love reading.
Much love, Chris x
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Thank you Chris. I find the saddest thing is often that we miss our loved ones more as time goes on not less. I can’t tell you how much that candle and blue card mean to me xxx
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