Sometimes things go wrong , life isn't always easy. For some of us it's fine , but for others it's not. They may be homeless , ill , under pressure at home , lost , any number of things. Sometimes the offer of a hand , a kind smile , a drink , a talk , can make all the difference.
I haven't written for what seems ages but, thought I would just post something upbeat, one of my favourite songs but the sadly missed Kevin Ayers , this always makes me smile and hope it will for you.
I have two very busy weekends coming up , but I always make time for my friends, always have a smile for people and that always makes me feel good.
Tomorrow when you are out , smile at more people , that person who wasn't feeling too good might feel a little better and you will have done a wonderful good deed.
The Rugby World Cup has kicked off in style. Whether its's because the UK has it this year or what I don't know , but it is brilliant to see a sport not riddled with drugs cheats , rule cheats , bribes , back handers , the deaths of thousands in countries not fit to play the sport.
I cannot pretend I know all the rules , and did get out of it fairly young , having seen so many lost teeth in clashes , though I felt the same about boxing . You do need to be hard to play rugby. I remember many years ago being at a garage and the the sky went dark . Bill Beaumont got out his car and made me look small and you know how big I am.
After the curtain raiser with England getting the better of Fiji , today we had the competition starting in earnest. And the matches are anything but one sided , well mabe the Irish dismantling of Canada , but Tonga vs Georgia should have been closer and Japan took South Africa on a knife edge in one of the biggest shock results , and the competition has hardly started.
The excitement is there and you can see they want to play the game and the first thing on their mind isnt their image rights.
Another thing, Newcastle are staging some matches , and for the Olympics there was a blackout on
everything that wasn't official sponsored , none of that for this competition.
As I pen this France lead Italy 25-10 , Italy have come back from 25-3 down , and while I expect France to run out victors , they aren't having it all their own way.
I know this isn't my normal sort of post , although in a way it is because events like this get your adrenalin going , and that makes you happy , and it is great to see good friends getting out and enjoying the games.
I wont be having a bet because I don't know who is going to win, the only thing I'm sure of is it is going to be a great tournament and looking forward to taking in some matches with friends.
Paloma Faith has recorded a new version of World in Union , I cant say I am that impressed prefer the Holst original , so I've included the Swing Low below below which is slightly better , but niot much.
What does ? Everything . Well lots of things , maybe I should just list things.
I know my recent posts have been about being happy , hugs and feeling good rather than slagging off Apple and mobile phone companies or being slightly down about Preston losing , but seriously, I am grateful for being able to make this list. Part of the reason I can do so is that I do always look for good things regardless of what happens, and a small thing , today I got told I was out of my probation period and they liked me at work and last night Youtube relented and allowed my Ezra Furman slideshow for "One Day I Will Sin No More" . I will record my own version of this and put it up on my Youtube Channel soon.
The love and support I get from my close friends and family , here and all over the world
The fact there is always someone there for me , and I am there for them
The appreciation that people give me when I share time and experience with them
I love my hometown of Preston , I don't get there enough , but Newcastle is now my home and I love the place and it's people and the friends I have made here make me fall in love with everything every day
I can't get down for too long because there is always something good about to happen
I love the positive things I can show people
I love berating people about not visiting The Lit & Phil , it is a beautiful amazing place
I love the fact that so many people don't know about the Vampire Rabbit and the look on their faces when I take them is brilliant
I love the fact my friend Barbara has resurrected Trillans and my friends Maz and Shev have made The Black Bull into the North East's Go To Punk venue and Dave and Julie Campbell have turned The Schooner into a brilliant Western Swing venue and brilliant pub
I love my friends
I love the culture , the museums , the coast
I love well I might never stop
Anyway that is just some of the stuff, have a brilliant day everyone , I really do love you all
We're getting dark morning , summers over and I'm getting up in the dark again. Luckily these days I can wait til it's light before I leave for work. Darkness while it's great for atmospherics does not tend to lighten ones mood.
I know I haven't blogged for a few days, but it's just really about getting the inspiration to writes , and that's usually because something really good has caught my attention. This week has been full of little things , that for me are not positive , like little knocks and bruises on my psyche. But I will not let them dampen my ardor , I am gonna find positives and I am going to be happy , and I am going to make other people happy , hopefully
Eeyore Hugs
But we hare half way through the week , so if you are lucky enough to be with someone gives them a kiss and a hug and put a smile on their faces , and yours too. I cant think of anything I would rather do at this moment but will make do with doing some household chores
But everybody go out and find someone to hug and make the world a happier place
Decided to go for the Troggs version cos really Love Is All Around if you look and give it a chance
For some reason I can't sleep. It's Ok it's Saturday Night , well Sunday Morning. This morning we got the result that Jeremy Corbyn is the new Labour Leader by an absolutely ridiculous landslide vote. So obviously I've been a little upbeat today to say the least
Then I went of facebook and almost every picture was someone smiling , with the odd annoying bit but, that was really uplifting. Smiling really does lift you and everyone should do it.
Everyones life is not perfect , but if you look out for you friends , talk , socialise and enjoy each others company then you always have a reason to smile , and smiling makes you feel good and feeling good is good for you.
The weekend is here , Autumn has come , the mornings are dark , but you are probably lying in bed as I write this as really I should be , but I just thought what could make a good thing a little better. I'm actually doing something for work this weekend , it's not been asked and actually gently discouraged , but the people I work with are great guys and I am happy to put in a little extra effort because I know that they would do the same for me. I brought in cake yesterday because that's the sort of think we do , except I got mine from Pet Lamb in the Grainger Market as the cakes have maltesers , chocolate orange and all sorts of goodies. Love treating my friends.
And really it's always good to give someone a call ad a hug because that makes you feel better and them feel better. It's to easy to put things off til next week or next month which turns in to next year. Do it now , reach out to someone, it will lift both of you and you never know your friend my need it , you don't know what's happening unless you talk, which is vaguely the subject of my TED talk submission which I will send off when they are next looking for speakers.
We should all talk more , hug more , spend time together more , and we will enjoy life more. So Saturday starts here , and if you want a hug from me me let me know , I always have one for my friend , family and those I love.
Someone at work checked out my blog this week and they said that they found it remarkably uplifting, I do hope they read this as well , but what better , more uplifting start to the day could you have than Elbow's One Day Like This , wouldn't you just give that guy in the video a big big hug . I would!
I was a little stir crazy last night and so went into town to Trillians and the Tyneside Bar and Cafe where I had some lovely Minestrone soup. There was a girl at the bar with her boyfriend , we caught each others eye, I smiled at her and , surprisingly she smiled back. It was fleeting but uplifting moment.
Today I was walking up our road a girl came out the dentist , I smiled at her , she beamed at me , a two second thing but certainly made me feel much better. Had good news from various sources , always glad to hear of my friends having a good time.
Smiling is really good for you , even when things are going wrong find something to make you laugh and grin.
If I hadn't gone out last night I wouldn't have seen the girl at the bar , I will never see her again , but the lift her smile gave me will be part of me forever, and I think Eeyore always makes people smile.....
