REFLECTIONS

So here it is, my 70th blog and the last one of my projects involving 70 blogs this year. Started as a simple idea to celebrate/commemorate my 70th birthday which happens on Sunday 10th September. As everyone knows Sundays are blog free days so hope you (anyone?) reads this on either Saturday or Monday!

I kind of enjoyed creating the blogs as I enjoy writing. Actually, I don’t “enjoy” writing but like to record me thoughts in any way possible. I write for various publications so thought it would be easy doing a few blogs. Started off well with a couple a week then I realised to meet my deadline I would have to increase output. I never re read what I’ve written so there are plenty of punctuation and grammar mistakes. I acknowledge the spell checker with Word, thanks. I don’t put too much emphasis on grammar in the comfort of knowing that its all about creativity. I mean to say who would challenge a suicide note complaining about the grammar being wrong! I have worked with professional writers before and their attention to detail drives me mad.

So, looking back over 70 years, I can’t really remember too much detail, just a sense of still being alive. I am not great for history and whilst appreciate its significance it doesn’t light my fire. Now art is something else but even that for me is all about the future. I need things to look forward to. 2024 is going to be good (no more blogs from me!!). I am planning my attendance at the International Festival of Glass and would love a sneaky visit to USA.

Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see my dad. That concerns me as I enjoyed a closer relationship with my mum. Seeing my Mum in the mirror would be great as we both had the same fashion style! I fact when I look in mirrors, I do see a lot of dead people. I counted 70 people that have come into my life and made an impact then died. Don’t think the two activities are connected but one things for sure is that when people die their memories don’t. Maybe for me that’s the blog game plan that I don’t want to be forgotten when I die?

When I write for the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers Journal then I know because of the A5 size of pages that 400 words fit well. This of course is based on the font size being 11point. I use a couple of proof readers and their reactions to me writing is always educational. One is very strict on my commas and full stops. So much so that I think one day I will write just a series of punction marks. Bit like ! ””,,,,,!!!!;;;;;;.,.,.,.,.,. That’s silly, isn’t it? Blame it on the keyboard.

I do write using a biro and have done for over fifty years. Mainly in so called exercise books as when I write so called poems. The titles are always black felt tip pens though. Just to be flexible and brightened things up. It would have been easy to photograph 70 poems and then publish these as some kind of tribute to me age but that would be far too easy. What I suppose I should have done is write 70,000 words or use 70,000 letters or ignore the figure 70 and write one word. Interesting food for thought. What word would you write if you could only write one word ever in the rest of your life?

I am well past the half ways stage of my life and as I mentioned to someone, I could say I am on the escalator to the cemetery! I was going to say that I am on the first step on the stairway to Heaven, but that term has been possessed by that well known pop band, Led Zepplin.

The big question for me is to know when to quit which can be difficult when I enjoy certain activities. I am glad that my blog project is over but what do I do now? I was going to say I will have so much spare time but that’s not true. Each blog takes me about twenty minutes to write. All I do is pick a subject then see if I have any photos which could go with the theme of the blog and insert them. I think all this poncy writing stories, book festivals and book awards are heavily overrated. Anyone can write as anyone can draw. In fact, writing is like drawing letters in a certain order to make sense. I would rather make nonsense though and I will try to perfect this impression for the next few years. I bet if I succeed no one will notice and perhaps no one will care except me. That’s good enough. Farewell.