No Regrets, They Don't Work

You are defined by the things you do, not by the things you don't do. Regret is a funny word that annoys me when I hear people say it. It's a feeling that we all get (and hate) but when people say that they regret not doing something, it gets on my nerves. I don't regret anything and you'll never hear me say that I do simply based on the fact that what is done is done. It takes a lot for me to write a truism like that as well (for example: if it rains, it rains) because they really annoy me but this one actually means something. History is the stuff that is behind is and we can't shape or change. What we can do however is move on and learn from mistakes instead of regretting them. That is all well and good but the hardest thing about that is the fact that you have to learn to move on and for some people that is almost impossible.

A Society Slip or Just a Good System?

I'm at a great age where nothing ever seems to surprise me. I've not seen enough to be able to call myself 'experienced' but at the same time, I've got my senses switched to 'alert' permanently so I'm always aware of change. The reason why I say this is that I had lost faith in kids. I may well be young but (legally - yes it was only a matter of time before I started to do that) I'm an adult and certainly mature enough to look upon minors with a critical eye. I probably started to do this in the last couple of years of high school when I went from 4th year to being grown up in the space of a summer (the same of which can't be said for all of my peers though). You return to school with your shirt and tie on and (especially in 6th year) you feel so much older than all of the younger students. I can only vaguely remember being in 1st year, no recollection of 2nd year and then 3rd and 4th just melted into one big multiple choice exam. The last two years of high school are the ones that mean something to me and one of the reasons is that I was able to 'look down' as it were, on the lower year groups. I flag this because of a news report I saw on the TV last week about the number of modern language assistants in Scotland being reduced to save money. A few students were asked their views on the matter and one of them made me sit up in my seat. He said that his language assistant actually taught him the subject instead of showing him just how to pass the exam - faith restored in a single 10 second clip. In general, we are taught how to pass exams and nothing beyond that: I give you my first 'World on Wednesday' post.

The Old Turn it On and Off Trick

When I had posted the second of last week's posts, what I was actually doing was making myself some deadlines - and I love deadlines! Now I've set myself the task of producing a post for Mondays (the vein ones about me) and on Wednesdays (when everything else gets a look in) and I can't wait. Since I decided to do this, I have found myself coming up with even more post ideas than ever and what is more I am even more enthusiastic about writing than ever before - I didn't think this was possible. It has taken me well over a year to finally manage to get into come sort of routine for this blog. Now that I'm at the start of that routine, I feel great. The first 'Me on Monday' post is going to be on a topic that I thought about one night when I was walking back up from the train station to my flat. I was absolutely knackered from both a lack of sleep that week and the fact that I had been on the move for most of the day. It then hit me that it was time to reset, much like you would a computer. You all know that situation when something electronic isn't working and hitting the top of it just isn't working. That's always the point when your genius friend or worldly parent comes into the room and tells you to turn it off and then back on again. I wonder if that could work for me.

Time to Take Stock

As I approach my 50th post of this blog, I think it is time that to stand back and see where I am with it. It is fair to say that it was one of the best decisions of my recent life when I chose to start this blog up. Little did I think that I would have people following it and reading every post and for that I am very grateful. What makes me even happier is the fact that I've had a couple of people say to me that they are either going to start a blog or reignite an old one. It has been super fun up until now and, although this opening paragraph sounds a bit like a farewell, there is plenty more to come from this blog - both for me and you.

Missing You Like a Hole in My Pocket

For some reason I like the fact that Valentine's Day this year falls on one of the days that I post on. The amount of irony that drips from that opening sentence equals the amount of chocolate sauce that is going to be consumed tonight - and you all know what I mean. The reason why it is ironic is that I've never 'celebrated' Valentine's Day and today is no different. Yes I've had girlfriends in and around it but I've never been 'taken' on this day - in fact it always passes like every other day. It's at this time of year that you realise being single isn't all that great however falling in line with my previous post, I've learned to get used to it. The trouble is that now I'm worried that I've lost the knack - that is if I ever had it in the first place. Ever since I wrote last Wednesday's post I've spent a lot of time thinking about what it all meant. Have I become too used to my own company and too set in my ways? I might as well lay it all out and then you can be the judge.

Learn to Enjoy Your Own Company

We all know that person that always wants to go out. They will text you every day if you are off school or university to see if you are busy and they'll always be the ones that want to go out at the weekend (sly reference to the my previous post right there). However if you are anything like me - yes it's possible! - then you'll sometimes just say no. And it's not because you have other plans or you have an important piece of work to be getting on with - you just want to stay in. I must admit that I do this more often than not (despite the fact that last night was the first night in I've had in ages) but I think it's because I enjoy my own company. There have been many nights when I've had the chance to go out with a group of people and I've decided to stay in. No I'm not antisocial, but I think that years of personal study and times spent writing (this blog for example) have helped me to realise that the best company you can keep is often someone closer to home than you think.

What Does Egypt Tell us About Social Networking?

How many 'event' invitations do you get every week on Facebook? I get about 2 or 3 that I could actually attend and then countless more that are inventions of the Facebook junkies which have thousands of people attending (but not really). I'm not going to start to harp on about the wonders of Facebook because I think that we are all fairly well versed in that particular area but the 'event' function has become a huge part of our lives. So when I heard that a large majority of the political protestors in Egypt were informed about the protests by such an 'invitation', I wasn't far from surprised - not that it doesn't worry me.

Try Living for Now and Not the Weekend

How many times have you felt like this?: It's Sunday night and you've had a good weekend with your friends. Maybe you went out for a drink or 10 with your mates or maybe you spent a nice weekend in the house family or someone close. However, no matter how much we try and fight it, it's Monday tomorrow which means going back to university, college or work and you start to hate Sundays all over again. It rolls into Monday morning with an early start and the feeling that you are stuck to your bed - you have to get up though because that's what we have to do on weekdays. You say your hello's when you see you're friends for the first time since Saturday night and you are immediately hit with the awesome news: you're going out again at the weekend. It's someone's birthday (not that you even know them) and you've been asked by a friend of a friend - of course you'll go! And then it happens. My least favourite words in the world at the start of the week: 'I can't wait until the weekend!'. Is your life really that bad that Monday to Thursday can now race past? All you are going to be thinking about this week now is where you are going and who is going to be there. Is that hot girl or guy going as well? What should I wear? How am I getting home? All I want to ask in return is what you are having for lunch today.