Snorkels, Biscuits, Cardboard etc...

I'm not 100% sure what's up with me at the moment. It's more than likely to be a combination of things: the fast approaching move away from home, starting a new part of my life, people leaving etc (basically the stuff that I've been going on about all year in this very blog). As you might have gathered from the title, I am certainly in an odd mood at the moment. I had this thought last night when I couldn't get to sleep: I started to think about the most random things that I could - I guess it was me trying to test my imagination. The reason why this was happening is not something that I can quite put my finger on but I guess that I'm just lacking something in my life just now - transition sucks. Maybe I was just bored although that would usually send me to sleep anyway or maybe there was something else to it. My plan was to think about it today but I never got round to it because of my busy schedule of reading, drinking coffee and watching 'House' (which I have become addicted to over the last week or so). So now I'm going to try and see where it came from and I thought that I might as well write it down while I was at it.

So what is imagination? The handy dictionary I have sitting beside me just now tells me that it is the "ability to make mental images of things that may not exist in real life". That being the case, I guess I wasn't trying to stretch my imaginative muscles off after all. After all the words I was coming up with were very like the ones in the title - not much imagination needed there.  So what was I playing at at 1am, lying in my bed, pulling the most random of words out of thin air? As I said I couldn't have been bored because that would not have explained me not being able to get to sleep; I wasn't wide awake either so that can pretty much rule out it being something constructive.

If the truth is to be told, I will never have the answer to this weird pastime that overtook me last night. If you have any theories then I would love to hear them but I guess I should just put it behind me and stop opening up my mind at night when I should be sleeping. Does this kind of thing make me weird? No, I don't think so but there's often times when I just need to write something down and this was one of those very moments. It resets me and makes me happier again to get something out - it makes room for new stuff.

You guys rule for reading this as always.

Muchos gracias amigos!


Martin

Those Damn Teenagers...

I hear watch the news and listen to the radio every day of my life and it seems that not a day goes past without teenagers getting bad press for something. It could be something as serious as underage drinking in the streets or a less obvious negative report saying that we don't read enough but it seems that we are forever receiving bad press for absolutely everything. It's interesting when you think about it that all of these people that are bemoaning the poor quality of our generation could have one day been teenagers themselves. I guess that it is mainly because we never witnessed it and only get to see the occasional photo of when they were our age and the even less occasional story of what it was like when "I was a boy/girl". It fascinates me further when they use the line "in our day" because this creates the idea that things never change and that teenagers nowadays should be just like they were 50 years ago. Why aren't we allowed to answer back to adults? Does it show a lack of respect or does it prove how smart teenagers are now? Yes there are a fair few of my peers that fall out of the category of smart and choose to answer back to their elders just because they feel like being abrasive that day, but then there are the millions of other young adults that have more to offer when they are allowed freedom to express themselves. I'll of course give the other side of the coin (that being the point of view of adults on certain, less desirable teenagers) a good rub but whether it be heads or tails that you get, our generation is the best yet and I'm going to try my best to prove it.

Let's have a quick look at those troublesome few who are out to cause anarchy wherever they go. I've been working and playing with them for my whole life and now that we're all teenagers together, I can see a split. There are the ones that have a bright future and endless prospects to look forward to and then there are the ones that have nothing - and that is no exaggeration. When I look around me at all of the people my age that I know, I see the majority of them getting ready for university or college, opening countless new doors for themselves all the while. I then catch a brief glimpse of the ones who are miles away on the opposite hand. I know them all because, as I said, I grew up with them all and I know that each and every one of them has the ability to outshine their contemporaries of 10 years ago. They are all gifted in one way or another but for whatever reason, and this is where I can't stick up for them, they have lost their way. And it is for this very reason that they are seen to be troublesome. I don't think I have ever come across a single peer who has not displayed a level of intellect or ability in one field or another. They could be naturally bright, they could be hard workers or they have some kind of practical ability that makes them useful to society. As it happens, that very society that they could help has already begun the process of rejecting them which is when the trouble starts.

Now if there is an adult someone reading this then they will almost agree with me that everyone has ability in one thing or another. The place that they will disagree with me is when I say that there is good in all teenagers. What makes certain individuals to become a nuisance is either rejection from their chosen lifestyle or the people that they socialise with. Take this analogy for example: I like sausages and I'm quite fond of a chocolate and each on its own is a treat, but if you were to mix them together then it would create detrimental effect on the overall taste. Now apply that to the concept of teenage social groups. You will very rarely find a single teenager causing trouble on their own or even in a pairs or trio - they are always in numbers. What I am trying to say is that if you mix the wrong people together then there will be a disastrous outcome (as with my sausage and chocolate example). Every member of the offending group will have their own (often secret) likes and dislikes that they choose not to share with the rest of the group and will also have ability in something that, more often than not, they hide to avoid embarrassment. As a group they might be a menace to society but as individuals, they are as much use to society as the people that the group, as a whole, were terrorising. Some manage to break away from their groups because they see 'the light' but others don't simply because there is nothing else for them to do with their lives.

It is those kids that are apart of 'gangs' or 'youth teams' that give the teenage demographic a bad name when really they are as useful to society as the next teenager. Maybe because I come from a well off background I can say all of this stuff and there will be no repercussions for my life; maybe because I am going to university I can say that everyone has something to offer to society; maybe because I have something to offer and have lots of prospects that I can say that everyone else my age does as well, but let it be known that I have grown up with these people and I know these people more than any adult will ever know them and I know they are good. I know that they have potential. I know that some of them give the rest of us a bad name but I also know that they are equally as able as the person next to them. I know that teenagers smash windows and terrorise old people and I know that some teenagers are just bad people but I know them all and see nothing new in any of them. We are all the same and just need to be given the chance to stand each on our own and show the world what we've got. The world needs our generation simply because we are the best that there has been - you'll see what I mean in 10 years time.

I imagine that you might have your own views on this matter and I would love to listen to them. Now would be a great time for you to click on the 'comment' box below and have your say (anonymously if you choose). Also it would be great to hear from lots of people so if you know of anyone who might be interested in this topic, send them a link or click on the Facebook button below to link this page.

Thanks for reading you beautiful, beautiful people!

Martin

An Urge to Write About Nothing in Particular...

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you will know that I go through periods when I write a lot and then periods of complete blogging silence. In fact I have mentioned this particular trend in a few previous posts so you should be used to reading about it by now. Recently, with the amount of free time I have on my hands, I have had a stronger urge than at any time since I started this blog, to write. So much so that this will be my 4th post this month which is unprecedented. The only issue that I have is that sometimes I don't always have one thing to write about. For example in the past I have written about leaving school, about holidays and even about cheese and coffee. Today I just feel like writing about something so I'm not sure where I'll be in 500 words time which could be interesting but on the other hand could be hellishly boring for you - hang in there though.

So what exactly could I write about? Well I could talk about current affairs such as the passing of the first 10o days of the coalition but, giving my political stance, I don't think it would be a very unbiased piece. I could talk about things a little closer to home and deliver a damning report about the way that certain people conduct themselves but again I don't think that would be very fair - plus it's more fun to watch things unfold on a certain social networking site. So again - what should I write about? How about we have a little wonder into the scary thought of moving away from home? Ye that could work...

Well in three weeks time, I'll be moving away from Livingston for the first time in my life into Edinburgh. It's strange to think that I've spent my whole life here and then in the space of a day I will no longer live here permanently. But as scary as it all seems at the moment, I have a strong feeling that the time is right for a change of scenery. I would say that life here has slowed down massively for me since the turn of the year - or maybe it has always been like this and it's me that has changed. That's much more likely I think. I know that many of you will be moving away as well and I'm sure you will agree with me when I conjecture that we have outgrown the very place that we call home.

An advantage for me is that Edinburgh is the nearest city to home and so not only will I be able to come home for good quality cooked meals now and again, I already have a good knowledge of the city having spent a lot of time there in my life so far. Edinburgh is a magnificent city in my opinion and I fancy that I'm going to have the time of my life whilst I'm there. In fact when I was Edinburgh last week, it was pointed out to me that I could end up working in the same street for the rest of my life with the law school being on the same street as one of the major courts in Scotland -  this really could be the biggest move I ever make.

As for other people moving to other cities, it's going to be pretty much the same deal for them as well: a new city to live in; new people to meet; a new life to make. I guess that's what will define us as adults when it comes to it in 10 or so years time - how well we handle this move. Some will hate it and move back home for their second year but most will love it and embrace this new and exciting chapter in their lives - I know I will.

So there you go - I only wanted to write something down and it has turned out to be pretty short. What that says about my imagination and writing ability I'm not quite sure. All I know is that this time next year I will be a different person and I would guess that moving away from home is going to play a big part in that.

Should I start packing now?
 

Happy moving people and thank you once again for bearing with a ramble,


Martin

Bone Idle or Aching Bones - What Have You Done This Summer to Make You Feel Proud?

From a distance, this summer promised a lot: free time to do nothing or everything with, being 18 for the first summer ever and all of the other things little that we all dreamed of doing that just wasn't possible with the meagre 7 weeks we've had in the past for the summer holidays. So where did is all go then? In under a month's time I'll have left home and a new chapter in my life that always seemed so far away will begin. In even less time than that, friends will have moved away, destined to only be in contact via Facebook and email until Christmas at the earliest. For the first few weeks of the summer I thought I was in paradise as did many of you but now the preparation for university is pretty much a necessity and we'll now have to cram all of those dreams we had for this summer into a few weeks (if that's even possible). My question to you is this: what have you managed to do this summer that you can pat yourself on the back for and say "that was worth it"? Of course I am only able to speak for myself, but from what I can see there are many other people in the same boat as me thinking "damn where did the summer just go?". 

If this had been a normal year during high school, then I would be going back there tomorrow to start it all again with the same faces and the familiar places. It was this realisation that started to make me think about just what I have done with my summer. The biggest thing that I did was visit Rome as some of you might be aware. It's hard to say if going on holiday can be seen as being constructive but I'll say it is for the moment. I've had my most productive summer in terms of reading with almost 10 books biting the dust along the way. On a slightly less constructive note, I have watched loads of films that I haven't seen before that everyone else seems to have watched. That could possibly be viewed as a good thing - maybe. Other than that it has been a summer of occasional exercise, more than occasional alcohol abuse and a fair bit of what I'm doing just now. Maybe I should have looked harder for a job earlier in the year but I think that I have managed, in theory, to find plenty of things to fill the summer weeks with. In practise however, it's been far from a full and rewarding few months.

It's been a hard summer mentally as well for me. In fact this year has been pretty difficult more or less because of the complete lack of motivation I've had for everything. It took a massive effort to even think about doing revision for the exams and frankly the results I got for them are nothing short of a miracle. There has been a lot of those 'it's really not worth it' days this summer which sounds very depressing but it's just the way that I've felt for quite a lot of the summer a I'm sure many others have as well. I think you'll know the sort of days that I'm talking about: when you've got nothing to do; there's nothing on TV and nothing good recorded on your sky+ box; nobody seems to be doing anything outside; you can't bring yourself to lift a book or go for a run and so you melt into a state of depression that just takes you right down. I've noticed that the times that I am happy I have generally done something with my day for example: finish a book; do some exercise; write something etc. And it's no coincidence either. I have just described polar opposite types of days that I have been having this summer and the pattern is blatant. So as I've said before: despite the fact that my writing sometimes makes me sounds depressed (or just makes me sound like I'm over reacting to everything) I am a very happy person and I realise that it's important to keep active.

Now that the summer has run away from us, it's time to start thinking about what's next - university, college etc. The prospect of going to university has been another of those things that I've thought about and felt miserable because of the idea of having to start working again and all of the other things that go with this massive change. Those feelings towards the matter have only cropped up a couple of times this summer because the rest of the time I've been bursting to get started. Yes it's a scary thing but I truly can't wait to get started. So much so in fact, that my plan for next week is to do some reading and some notes from the books that I have got on Scots Law. If I was to put my excitement about the course into words then I would fail miserably because I just wouldn't be able to do it justice (pardon the pun).

So again I ask you: what have you done this summer to make you feel proud? It seems that now I have written everything down, I have actually done quite a good deal more than I realised. Maybe your summer hasn't been as productive and proactive as it could have been but to take another lyric from the song that gave me the title to this post: it's never too late to try - three weeks can be as long or as short as you make it.

Stay happy people and thanks for reading,

Martin

Guest Writers Wanted!

Well I guess this could be seen as some kind of personal ad -the sort you get in  newspapers - although I would imagine that this would fail to entice people in the lonely hearts column. Basically what I am looking for it for someone (or some people) to come up with some interesting ideas in the form of a blog post that I can put up on this here page for people to read. Naturally I would add some stuff around it otherwise that would just be plain lazy on my part but they bulk of the post in question would be the 'donated' text. I'm not sure if many people have looked at the new 'Contact Me' page, but there on there is a little bit of info about what I am looking for. For those of you that have looked at it and thought "maybe that would be quite good fun but I'm too shy to give it a try", that is ok as well because I am happy to put up content under anonymous just as much as I am willing to plaster someone's name all over my blog until it chokes on it. I'll put together a wee list of ideas for you to mull over and if you have any desire at all to get involved then just drop me an email or even better (and this will apply to most of the regular readers) talk to me in person - this of course includes msn for we do live in the 21st century after all. So here's the list and I do hope to hear from some people over the next couple of weeks:

• Poetry
• Monologues
• Full blog posts
• Blog post extracts
• Musings
• Pictures
• Something to debate
• Song lyrics

Cheers,

Martin

My Interior Monologues

I'm pretty sure that you will know by now that I am pretty fascinated with words and writing as I have mentioned it in most of my previous posts and have even based a couple of them on the subject. This particular post is going to be short and sweet in terms of fresh writing and is going to be filled up with examples of the kind of writing that I do (away from this blog of course because then I would just find myself quoting pervious posts which would be nonsensical). I must point out that if I was to put down an example of everything that I have ever written be it poems, monologues and general musings then this post would be, for want of a better word, epic. It would span for page after page and would more than likely bore you after a while. That's why I'm going to keep it as short as I can and just give you the' tip of the iceberg'.

I am going to keep this post fairly brief so I'll just put up a few short monologues that I put together recently which might seem very encrypted initially but after a few reads might make more sense. The first one is about being metaphorically lost and not really knowing where you are at a certain point in your life:

I think I might be lost but I don't know why or when it happened all I know is that I can't find my way somewhere and even then I don't know where such a destination exists or why such a place should want even want to facilitate someone in such a lost state as myself but as not to confuse matters I shall continue to search for this place and not rely on assumptions and frail ideas for such absurd paths could assume that I no longer want to find this place that I speak of even though if I am not sure such a place even exists or that in the event that such a place does exist that it will facilitate someone as lost as I find myself just now.

The next one is looking at how you can only chose the people that hold you back and that if a person was ever to do so without you letting them then they would have to have be super human:

If someone was to stand in my way and become an obstacle to my life then I wonder where I would go after realising that such a person would have to be strong and mighty to be able to stand in the way of ambition and passion and the unrelenting drive to succeed in a life where only the brave stand tall and the weak are those who find themselves standing only behind people that are as weak as them. 

The final one that I will put up is about equality and the fact that, if we were all stripped right down to the bare bones then it would show us all to be the same:

Whoever said that I could not win and be better than them is a person who not only does not exist but if someone of that persuasion was to come to light then they would struggle to survive under the weight of people such as myself and even if that person was never to utter such words upon a peer then they still hold claim to being better than someone else which is not only obtuse but could land them in a trouble that would burden even the strongest souls on this very earth that we all share in equal measures and call home.

So that is a few examples of one of the best ways, in my opinion, to let out emotions and ideas. Although they have no structure and no punctuation, there is a really powerful message in each of them that can be applied in any way you see fit. Not all of my monologues are written like that but I felt that those were the best examples of what I would call 'power writing' because each of them only took a few minutes to compose and, as bare as they seem, prove to be very powerful.

It wasn't until last year's Advanced Higher English class that I was properly introduced to this art of writing monologues but have since come across many examples which have captivated me. I guess that I owe a lot to that class because without the guidance of a couple of particularly excellent teachers I think I would be playing Football Manager in my spare time instead of writing.

Thanks again for reading as always and I hope that you give this art just a few minutes out of your day because that's all it needs and oh how cathartic it can be.

Cheers,

Martin