Saturday, December 29, 2007

In Luck?

If you have someone you can cuddle up to and watch TV, you are in luck.
If you have someone who you can dial instantly from your mobile to say, car has broken down, HELP, you are in luck.
If you have someone who calls YOU to ask you if you have reached safely, you are lucky.
Some one you can reach out and get a warm hug from, you are lucky.

Yes, parents count as examples of the above.
Significant others count as well.

What we often forget, and yes it sounds a bit like a cliche, but we do in our daily runs to work, home, deadlines, bills to pay, cheques to deposit, dishwashers to load, ironing to do, books to read, tickets to book, movies to see..often forget, that if we are within easy reach of a hug, cuddle, kiss, phone call..we are lucky!

Yes the person is aware of your love, and no you might not need to say it everyday, but you must remember, sometimes, when the stray ray of sunshine illuminates your mind.. you are loved...unconditionally, completely and wholly by someone, You are Lucky.

Monday, December 24, 2007

The Christmas List

December 25 conjures the following:

Turkey, presents, tinsel, baubles, pine, fir, lights, pudding, chocolates, food, alcohol, friends, family, fights, stockings, chimneys, Santa...

Greedy kids, over enthusiastic shoppers, overloaded food tables, wasted food, wasted wrapping paper, unwanted gifts, unpleasant surprises, family fights...

Spirit of love, smiling people, dreamy faces, uplifted faces looking for snow, praying for miracles, prayers, warmth, togetherness...

Hopes dashed, stressed out adults, overfed children, appeals on TV which wrench your heart, endless repeats of 'Last Christmas', 'Dreaming of a white Christmas', 'Santa Baby', ' All I want for Christmas'...everything red and green...

£1.5million per minute being spent today, one day before Christmas, said one radio station...interesting thought...

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Useless...

I am. A waste of space. Right now.
For the first time in my life I have nothing...*NOTHING* left to do. The thesis is written, the teaching is done, the journals have been read. I have no work. Nothing.

In the past 30 years of my existence I have been busy all the time. School at 2.5 yrs of age and then BA, Post Grad, Job, MA, Job, PhD, Job, Job, PhD.....it been an endless list of studying, working, Studying + working, Working + studying, working and looking for study, Studying and looking for work..but there has never been any time when there is nothing on my mind..as a to-do list. As in when-I-get-time-I-will-do____. Its strange, not sad.

Yes I have had my holidays, and my travel, and my time outs, but even then, at the back of my mind I know...I need to do this when I get back. I know there is work on my desk, I know there are things I have to read, process and write about.
But right now...its nothing!!!

So I can actually wake up..and lie in bed, eat breakfast and watch morning TV!!!Lounge around, shower and get back into track bottoms :) no phone calls to make, no email to check, no bus/train to catch. I can read books I like, listen to music I like, and chill without the clock ticking in my head!

I am sure I shall get bored of it soon, but right now, I am happy! doing nothing!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Big Headed - Moi!

I went to work yesterday and found a massive package sitting on my table, from Florence. And there is me thinking...Florence? Florence? Yes I was there recently but..??? Opened it to find...ta daaaa...my FIRST book. Its an edited book in which my chapter turns up on page 267! Oh oh oh...I was all smiles :) for a long time..till I started to look insane.
So ok, yes I have published in journals, newspapers, magazines, spoken in Conferences, lectures and seminars..so yes the tough skin is there and I have seen my name in print several times before...but not in a book!! Happy. I am awaiting yet another one for next year and I am sure I shall be as happy about that as I am about this.
For those of you who want to nose around a bit more..the book is:
"Post-Disaster Reconstruction: Meeting Stakeholder Interests" its published by the University of Firenze (Florence).
Smiling...still smiling..