Children

To be honest I'm not a person that usually likes children or can see myself ever having any, that's my preference and personal reasoning. I've worked with teenagers in the past and I didn't really enjoy it and I usually avoid small children.

During the last week my friend has been over from Hong Kong with his family and I spent some time with them. They have a lovely 3 year old son who is fast growing up. As I walked through town with them his tiny hand slipped into mine as his parents were momentarily distracted looking into a shop window. At first I felt odd and then suddenly overcome with a strange but good feeling. As the day passed I interacted more, chatted and laughed with him and maybe felt a pang of wanting to be parent. Ironically a friend once said I'd make a really good parent.

Then yesterday when the young girl on 'Britains Got Talent' sang on tv and suddenly became so panicked she gasped and couldn't go on my heart went out to her, my throat contracted, a silent sob issued forth and I was gripped by her evident onset of nerves and anxiety. Despite her distress the great British public urged her on and applauded her and thankfully she was given a second chance later in the show.

The truth is, I will probably never have kids, I don't think the future is amazingly bright but I think if I had my time again, the circumstances were different then I would probably want to father a child…. Perhaps. Alas the practical side of me, the cynical side of me doesn't want kids and thinks that people need to think long and hard before they have them, and if they can provide for a future for them. It was good to feel that brief tiny glimmer of ‘inner parent’ within me though and I cannot deny it felt good.

Lincoln ... Once Again

Here are some photos of my day out in Lincoln earlier this week. A kind of business and pleasure trip with a tour around the cathedral with some clients to round the day off. Lincoln is such a lovely place, especially the area surrounding the cathedral. Though I think the cathedral is an amazing building organised religion isn't really my thing at all. I love the history to it but that's as far as it goes.

(Above) The Water Tower, and believe me it's massive when you get up close.

(Above) There are lots of archways like this around Lincon.

(Below) Steep Hill

(Above) A raiding party of ducks makes an attack on the exposed castle gate!

(Below) Is the fabled 'Lincoln Imp', the only such Imp to be found in the cathedral, he's the little fella lit up ... my kinda guy!

(Below) The cathedral organ.

(Above) An alter where you can light a candle and pray... if that's your thing!

(Above) A shrine.

(Above) Underneath the trapdoor are the original cathedral foundations.

(Above) A stained class window, the cathedral has several windows from different time periods.

Heart Warming

It's stories like the one below that are truly heart warming when you browse the world news with a cup of tea in a morning!

British Politics

Well it's in a right old state isn't it? I suspect many of us deep down knew politicians got plenty of perks and fringe benefits of the job but some of the recent excesses in expenses claims are just ridiculous and blatantly a slap in the face for us, the electorate. What makes it worse, is that when businessmen do it and it comes to light then politicians are quick to pour scorn on such actions.

You can bet that even though the house of parliament speaker has quit, he'll bag himself a fat pension and a peerage. Confidence in Labour is at an all time low, the man in the street rightly thinks the current government is a shambles. The man in the street also thinks the other political parties aren't fit for the job either.

Radical changes need to take place, rafts upon rafts of sweeping measures need to begin, and then, maybe then ... we can start to believe in the age old democracy this country has always had ... and been proud of.

Moving

So, I find myself packing boxes and moving home once again. This time it's more for practical reasons than anything. The new place is bigger, has central heating, is more private as it's on the second floor. The rent is a little more but not a great deal so I've got that covered.

Am I looking forward to the move? Well as always packing and organising such things can be stressful but I'll get there in the end and hopefully this move will be both beneficial and long lasting. As I sorted through things to throw out today I came across birthday cards and other reminders of my time here, and I can say with conviction that my two and a half years here has been nearly a 100% happy. I'm hoping the move also gives me a boost to motivate me a little more because I feel that my personal motivation has been lacking of late. Friday is the moving day, though I can sort of see it lasting a couple of days as I call in friends to help me when they can. If I don't blog before, see you in the new place!