Suffer now, and live the rest of your life as a champion.
I really, really like that quote. It was once said by the great Muhammad Ali and the meaning of those words could be depicted in many a way, especially from his perspective. However in general, not just from Ali's point of view, it is a truly strong sentence of words. In all walks of life you suffer, whether that be training for an upcoming fight or hardship from a lifetime of persecution. But the glory everyone feels when they have fought through it all is momentous and for either a short time or a long time, you feel immortalised.
For me suffering is minuscule compared to another human being that dies for a drink of water or a lack of warmth but I believe I still suffer. Just a whole lot less.
There are more positive, great things in my life than bad but being the pessimistic beings that we are; we just can't help but complain and feel lost.
It has been a while since I last blogged. Perhaps because stopping on a pretty cool number as 30 was sort of an achievement. I mean reaching 5 blogs was at first thought of as scary. For a time I lost my inspiration to write and then rediscovered it but recently felt as if I had lost it again...
My creative, thoughtful side seems to be pushed aside when I get back to 'studying'. University just tends to crush that part of my brain and it becomes more about drinking, sleeping and football. Don't get me wrong, I love all three of those things but they aren't everything that defines me. I've always thought what makes you who you are, are the little things. Those tiny characteristics, secret hobbies and hidden traits that define you as a person. Not the mechanisms on show for all to see, in which everyone hides behind.
My characteristics, secret hobbies and hidden traits? If you know me well enough, you know all three. If you don't then why not try and find out? They aren't any of my all knowing mechanisms after all.
So... Recently, apart from feeling creatively lost and sort of stressed about that. I have been living the high life through student money and Iceland prices. It is all candy canes and rainbows until you realise that you should check your bank balance every so often of course. Oh well, money isn't everything. Except the bane of my life.
Had an amazing week this week though...
Been to two gigs and they were extremely good. The first of which was on Thursday in Manchester where I saw the amazing Glasvegas. A Scottish band with a penchant for sunglasses, wine and anthemic sounds.
The second was in Preston where I had the mighty pleasure of seeing Benjamin Francis Leftwich. He's a solo acoustic artist from York who dabbles in folk and Indie (of course).
Both gigs were brilliant, yet so different. Both very intimate, but with different crowd types.
It's the beauty of music I suppose, where a man can stand alone on a stage with just a guitar and garner the attention of listeners just as much as a 4 piece band. And a 4 piece band can have as much attention focused on all of them just as much as the solo artist.
I have nothing but admiration for musicians. I truly believe they are the most influential people in the world. My mood is based around music and my motto for the day will come straight from a lyricists handbook.
I've always wanted to be in a band, but I can't play an instrument. I should learn I guess, that would be a keen start?!?!? I could try and be a frontman, but I believe I am poor at best and a karaoke singer when on a good day ha ha. My girlfriend tells me I'm good but then again, she would say that to keep me happy.
We can all dream.
I wrote this a while back and felt this was relevant anyway;
I dream so I know I am awake,
Eloquent footsteps in multiple directions,
Dreams in which I sleep and thoughts in which I say,
A life not worth living if I keep them in a collection,
I dream so I know I am alive,
Haunting chapters upon blank pages,
Tears in which I cry and laughter in which I smile,
An empty life lived, locked up in hundreds of cages,
I dream so I know I feel,
Clouds hang above in a gloomy sky,
Sinking in which I drown and settling in which I deal,
Coming up with new dreams to make up another lie,
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."
My characteristics, secret hobbies and hidden traits? If you know me well enough, you know all three. If you don't then why not try and find out? They aren't any of my all knowing mechanisms after all.
So... Recently, apart from feeling creatively lost and sort of stressed about that. I have been living the high life through student money and Iceland prices. It is all candy canes and rainbows until you realise that you should check your bank balance every so often of course. Oh well, money isn't everything. Except the bane of my life.
Had an amazing week this week though...
Been to two gigs and they were extremely good. The first of which was on Thursday in Manchester where I saw the amazing Glasvegas. A Scottish band with a penchant for sunglasses, wine and anthemic sounds.
The second was in Preston where I had the mighty pleasure of seeing Benjamin Francis Leftwich. He's a solo acoustic artist from York who dabbles in folk and Indie (of course).
Both gigs were brilliant, yet so different. Both very intimate, but with different crowd types.
It's the beauty of music I suppose, where a man can stand alone on a stage with just a guitar and garner the attention of listeners just as much as a 4 piece band. And a 4 piece band can have as much attention focused on all of them just as much as the solo artist.
I have nothing but admiration for musicians. I truly believe they are the most influential people in the world. My mood is based around music and my motto for the day will come straight from a lyricists handbook.
I've always wanted to be in a band, but I can't play an instrument. I should learn I guess, that would be a keen start?!?!? I could try and be a frontman, but I believe I am poor at best and a karaoke singer when on a good day ha ha. My girlfriend tells me I'm good but then again, she would say that to keep me happy.
We can all dream.
I wrote this a while back and felt this was relevant anyway;
I dream so I know I am awake,
Eloquent footsteps in multiple directions,
Dreams in which I sleep and thoughts in which I say,
A life not worth living if I keep them in a collection,
I dream so I know I am alive,
Haunting chapters upon blank pages,
Tears in which I cry and laughter in which I smile,
An empty life lived, locked up in hundreds of cages,
I dream so I know I feel,
Clouds hang above in a gloomy sky,
Sinking in which I drown and settling in which I deal,
Coming up with new dreams to make up another lie,
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world."
