Latest Posts
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Part of something greater
If the Earth were a hydrogen atom, and I looked out from my window at the electron whizzing past in the air above, I might be tempted to think that this was all there was. After all, I wouldn’t know… Continue reading
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What is the purpose of our existence?
Reading time 10 minutes For the majority of the world’s population, God is the purpose of their existence. According to the 13th-century Italian scholar Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate goal of human existence is to attain a supernatural union with God,… Continue reading
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A universal SATs exam
What are you curious about? I’m curious about God. I’m pretty sure God exists, but I’m also pretty sure there is no Divine Intervention. This is because I have enough evidence to say that the universe creating itself is highly… Continue reading
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A Spiritual Journey
What are your future travel plans? Life is taking me on a journey at present and it’s one I didn’t seek. Of course, all life is a journey, but this is something completely different. These last few years, I’ve felt… Continue reading
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Near Death Experiences
I’ve been reading an old book about Near Death Experiences called Life After Life by Dr Raymond Moody. It very much relates to a topic I wrote about a while ago Where Do We Go When We Die? in which… Continue reading
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The effects of infinity on finite systems
“Imagine you had a perfectly sealed box. Nothing can come in, and nothing can escape. Into this box you placed an apple and sealed it shut. If you waited long enough, the apple would go through various states of decomposition.… Continue reading
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Life and time
Which activities make you lose track of time? Einstein showed that, rather than there being a single unified time, time is relative, and so every phenomena has its own time. There isn’t a single entity of time, there are numerous… Continue reading
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Why Isn’t Life Easy?
Why isn’t life easy? If a God created life, why make it so difficult? I mean, if you were omnipotent, and you were designing life, surely you’d make it so that things ticked over nicely, you’d want them to purr… Continue reading
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Splashing in Puddles
So many of us are finding the world overwhelming these days. The constant hostility on social media, the lack of empathy and tolerance for other people’s’ views, not to mention the depressing news stories, climate change and soaring crime, it’s… Continue reading
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Was the world made for us?
Imagine there was a safari park, complete with big cats, monkeys, zebras, giraffes etc. Now, imagine that the human keepers became extinct and the park was left to its own devices, with all the cage doors left open. There would… Continue reading
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The will to live
Throughout recorded history, thinkers and natural philosophers have commented on the innate, energetic spark that is imbued within all living things. Eastern and Western civilisations have simultaneously described a will to live, an internal life force, a spirit, or soul,… Continue reading
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What should life be like?
What should life be like? What can we reasonably expect from our existence? I’m not referring to those ultra people, with extreme lifestyles, who live as monastic monks or who have blue blood and live in palaces. I’m also not… Continue reading
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Draw Like a Boss
In this interview, author Ashley Edge and Paul Carney explore the purpose of drawing and learning to draw, including explicit instruction. Ashley Edge is a Lake District based artist and the author of the Draw Like a Boss series of… Continue reading
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It’s Life Jim!
Some scientists now believe the chances of life emerging on Earth by itself are too remote. In a very honest, refreshing, (but complex), scientific paper, Robert Endres of the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London in December 2025, explored… Continue reading
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Finding God in an age of reason
What evidence is there that God exists? In my opinion, the likelihood of the universe springing into existence by itself, for no reason, is so remote as to be non-existent. The mathematics of this universe forming event are mind-bogglingly extreme.… Continue reading
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The Blob
A short story. The blob floated mindlessly in the darkness. It had no eyes, or senses, save the ability to touch. To feel. It had no explicit conscious thoughts as such. But, driven by impulse, it knew what it wanted.… Continue reading
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One in a billion
In the Big Bang, when the universe was formulated, there should have been a blinding flash of radiation as these opposing forces cancelled each other out. But that is not what happened. By the order of one particle in a… Continue reading
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Welcome to the spirit world.
A short story. It had been another excellent meeting, Wendy thought, as she tidied her props away into her handbag and picked up her phone. Her back was killing her from sitting on a hard seat all night, but she… Continue reading
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Stephen Hawking: Is there a God?
“One could define God as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of as God. They mean a human-like being, with whom one can have a personal relationship.” Hawking refers to… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Pure awareness is heaven
What are your thoughts on life after death? Where do you think we go when we die? Perhaps you think you’ll live eternally in a heavenly paradise surrounded by your loved ones. Maybe you don’t believe any of that stuff… Continue reading
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Movie Night
‘Where the hell am I?’ she muttered to herself, as the vortex gave way to a dimly lit room, complete with brightly-coloured, patterned furnishings and the kind of Jamaican, cultural furnishings she was familiar with from her childhood. ‘Oh wow,… Continue reading
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Roads to Happiness
Two eastern mystics with profound insights into the nature of existence and how to lead happier lives are Sri Ramana Maharshi and Thich Nhat Hanh. Maharshi was a Hindu sage who lived around eighty years ago in India, while Hanh… Continue reading
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How can an inanimate force become a God?
When we think of a force such as the quantum field, we don’t think of an omnipotent, personified being, we think of an abstract mass of crackling energy; a bubbling froth of excitable forces, where a myriad of particles might… Continue reading
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The axis of evil
Aristotle’s geocentric model of the universe, with earth in the centre, fitted with western Biblical ideologies and so stood for two thousand years until Copernicus upset the apple cart and proclaimed the sun was at the centre of things. Despite… Continue reading
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True Survivor (the pom-poms)
Harry woke up before the alarm and instinctively woke his wife, Jacinda, too. ‘Hey Jac, come on, you’ve got a long day today, you’re on lates.’ ‘What? Huh, oh God, my head hurts.’ ‘I’ll let you go in the shower… Continue reading
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The grand coder
A computer coder creates a virtual world which replicates our ‘real’ world, and the characters have a form of artificial intelligence. Characters in this world have the ability to sense their environment, and assume what they experience is real. In… Continue reading
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An odd thing to find
‘Tonight, we bring you a special report on the mysterious phenomena known as sea pyramids – the strange, glowing triangular prisms that have washed up on the beaches of Japan and the Philippines in recent months. ‘Professor Richard Binks, a… Continue reading
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The True Self
The true Self is the spiritual self. The true Self is the single self; it is not scattered, disorganised or divided. The true Self has no ego. The true Self does not crave attention, fame, status, wealth, or ambition. The… Continue reading
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The Secret of Life
There is a secret to life that is so simple, yet so elusive, and it is this: all the life that has ever existed, in every corner of the universe, has one primary purpose – to find happiness. What is… Continue reading
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An Origin Story
A young girl was seated alone in a plush café, talking into her friend through her smartphone. The friend was on speakerphone, and the girl, although clearly distressed, made no attempt to hide her conversations. The girl sobbed and wailed… Continue reading
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Last Night in Middlesbrough
The old man winced in pain as he leant forward to pull the flimsy blanket over his calloused, gnarled feet. Even thick, thermal socks weren’t enough to keep out the icy cold depths of winter. It wouldn’t be long now,… Continue reading
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Dragged kicking and screaming
Do you trust your instincts? Everybody talks about the good old days, the good old days, right? Well, let’s talk about the good old days. As bad as we think they are, These will become the good old days for our children. Gladys Knight… Continue reading
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The Fundamental Spirit
Reality has a fundamental layer that pervades and connects all things. The Hindus call it Brahman; the invisible essence that permeates the whole universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. Buddhists call it the Dharma. Scientists might call it the… Continue reading
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An Almighty state of being
God for me, isn’t a being in the sky, but a creative life force all around me, present in all things. As my regular readers will know, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery over the last year and an… Continue reading
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Finding Patterns
Pattern Is religion just the brain seeing patterns in things? Human beings have a tendency to attach supernatural meanings to everyday phenomena. Seeing faces in clouds (pareidolia), believing there is a pattern in random events (like in gambling), or confirmation… Continue reading
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Believing in Nothing
No one believes in a God who does nothing,” G. K. Chesterton Something rather than nothing It seems obvious to me that something, rather than nothing, created the universe. Proving it, however, is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is… Continue reading
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If everything that exists has a cause, who or what is the cause of God?
Preface: Some people associate God with that described in religious texts, others like me simply say that God is an unknown higher power. The cosmological argument for the existence of God says that nothing exists without a cause. The universe… Continue reading
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The Ouroboros
How are you feeling right now? “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung For me, one of the hardest aspects of having ADHD is emotional dysregulation. I’ve struggled… Continue reading
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An Atheist Rebuttal
A rebuttal of a New Scientist article by atheist Victor J. Stenger In his 2012 New Scientist article, the God Hypothesis, Victor J. Stenger focusses on the Judaic-Christian-Islamic version of God, and then looks for empirical evidence for it. Here… Continue reading
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Melding our Minds
A mind meld is a fictional, telepathic link that the character Spock was able to perform on other organisms to connect their minds. But could it possibly be a real ability? Might we be able to connect our thoughts with… Continue reading
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Explore Paul Carney’s Two Unique Albums
Paul Carney has released two albums, “Dying Days,” produced by Mike Franklin in 2008, featuring a tribute track for his late mother, and “Suspicion,” recorded in his home studio in 2010. He also performed covers with the band Red Book.… Continue reading
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Hand of God?
Many years ago I had a marine fish tank which took a lot of hard work to keep. I had to make sure it was always at the right temperature. I had to check the pH levels and ensure the… Continue reading
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The Spirit Within Me
How important is spirituality in your life? I define the spirit as the living essence of a person, which includes consciousness, and the bioelectrical life force within all living things. In this way, the spirit is my mind and my… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Valuing our Values
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi We all have values that mould and shape our… Continue reading
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How to lead a good life
What are the most important things needed to live a good life? Dear Margot Here are five life lessons I’ve accumulated over the years. I hope they will help you become happy and healthy when you grow up. There are… Continue reading
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I Believe…
Beliefs are the foundations upon which we build our sense of self. They are pivotal to our well being and happiness. But our beliefs are also personal, insecure and subjective. That’s partly because of the nature of knowledge itself, but… Continue reading
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Get away from it all
It’s hard to be happy if you’re constantly looking inward. When we focus on ourselves too much, when we live inside our own heads, or even when our ailments occupy more of our time than they should, we suffer. It’s… Continue reading
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Revolting Pedants
What is a word you feel that too many people use? I couldn’t quite put my finger on why I was struggling with this prompt, until I realised that it was asking me to make judgement calls about other people,… Continue reading
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A Glimmer of Peace
What brings you peace? Ok, I’ll be honest here. Inner peace is not my bag. It isn’t exactly something I have a great deal of experience of. You see, I have suffered mental turmoil for my whole adult life in… Continue reading
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Surgeon Superhero
What profession do you admire most and why? The profession I admire most is a surgeon. I am a huge admirer of TV documentaries showing the operations of top surgeons as they battle to save, or improve the lives of… Continue reading
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Spatchcock & Dingle’s DaDa Department Store!
If you were going to open up a shop, what would you sell? Opening and shutting soon! Spatchcock & Dingle’s DaDa Department Store! The place where everything is for nothing, and nothing is everything. Get yourself down to Melvin’s Magic… Continue reading
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Master of all trades
What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time? The thing I carry everywhere is my phone. I remember very well buying one of the first iPhones early in 2008, before there was even an App… Continue reading
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Ch-ch-ch-changes
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world? My blog is a cathartic exercise to help me realise my thoughts, ideas, and opinions about the world. The changes I’d like it to make… Continue reading
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Loneliness of the long distance space traveler
I’m a huge fan of Sci-Fi programmes such as Star Trek where they travel from star to star, trekking the universe in search of intelligent life. But one thing has always puzzled me. The Enterprise space ship seems to be… Continue reading
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Mr Bagpuss
Describe your life in an alternate universe. The temptation of this prompt is to dive straight into describing a superior, alternative version of myself. After all, few people would describe an inferior version of themselves in this alternative universe. But,… Continue reading
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Plain Eater
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it? As a typical northern bloke, I’m not one to spend a lot of money on food. I recoil in horror at the thought of paying hundreds… Continue reading
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Together in Electric Dreams
Scour the news for an entirely uninteresting story. Consider how it connects to your life. Write about that. I try to avoid anything with Trump in it. The man is a self-serving, egotistical, wind bag. He is of course, in… Continue reading
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What memories are made of
List 30 things that make you happy. Open fires, Old car tyres, Home-made carts From rubbish-tip parts, Black and white tellies, Trifles and jellies, Thruppence for sweets, Home-baked treats, Scones and cakes, Thursday Gran bakes. Footy with mates Dinners bursting… Continue reading
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A Quiet Place
Describe one habit that brings you joy. A habit that brings me joy is to meditate and reflect in my spiritual place at the bottom of my garden. It is a place I have created of calmness and serenity which… Continue reading
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The Toymaker
A man makes wooden toys. Every day he goes to his workshop, to lovingly craft and fashion his beautiful toys. He carefully displays them in his shop window, but no one ever buys them. Children say they don’t want wooden… Continue reading
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Making Myself Up
How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you? Our descriptions of ourselves change according to who we are relating the information to, and when and where we are doing it. Professor Nick Chater, in his book The… Continue reading
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Traditions
What traditions have you not kept that your parents had? My father had a tradition of leaving us to go to the pub and always being drunk. When I became a parent, I didn’t really know what a good father… Continue reading
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Believing in Something is better than Believing in Nothing
Learned people tell us that there is nothing to this world, save that which can be observed, measured and recorded. They state quite firmly that we must savour things in this life, because there’s nothing after we die. All talk… Continue reading
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Through the lens of others’ eyes
How would you describe yourself to someone? The better question is not how I would describe myself, but how would other people describe me? The woman in the queue at the bank the other day would have described me as… Continue reading
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Archaeopteryx
If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be? Archy-archy-optryx A silly little thing, Wasn’t quite a dinosaur Nor bird, despite its wings. Its looks were almost avian Its feathers spoke of flight, But when you saw… Continue reading
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Shanghai
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go? Shanghai Continue reading
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Unspeakable Horrors in Gaza
I have no words left inside of me to describe the horrors going on in Gaza right now. Netanyahu uses pathetic excuses to pass the blame off from himself, onto others. Western governments do little or nothing to stop these… Continue reading
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The Carney Clan
What’s the story behind your nickname? Extracts of this post were taken from Cool Names and Cool Kids I don’t have a nickname and it was a such a source of irritation for me for the longest time. In fact,… Continue reading
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Care Package
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being? I’ve done this a few times before, but here we go again: Exercise: Cross Trainer Aerobic floor exercise Walking steps Gardening Mental Comfort: Seeing my mates Music via headphones… Continue reading
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Dad Jokes
I love this app by developer Luke Taylor. It’s totally free with limited ads and is a great way to start your day. Some of the Dad jokes are just brilliant. A little bit of a chuckle is like a… Continue reading
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Media Police
What would you change about modern society? The thing I would change about modern society is the media. I would make it less sensational, less biased, more honest, fair and transparent. We have to make news less about click-bait drama,… Continue reading
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Damn Great Tracks
What do you listen to while you work? I’ve attached some photos of my music playlists. I spend a long time putting them together. Music has been a huge part of my life. I’ve sung and played instruments since I… Continue reading
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Days Gone
What’s your favorite game (card, board, video, etc.)? Why? My favourite game is an apocalyptic computer game about a drifter on a motorbike called Deacon St. John. It’s called Days Gone, and it’s incredibly difficult to beat the zombie hordes.… Continue reading
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Cake
What foods would you like to make? Cake. Cake. Cake, and more cake. Recipe here Continue reading
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False dichotomies
Dogs or cats? Fried rice or Ricin? Whipped or whipped cream? Galantine or Guillotine? Croissants or crucifixion? Water melon or waterboarding? A false dichotomy is a fallacy based on an “either-or” type of argument. Two choices are presented, when more… Continue reading
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Beautiful Insect Art
I’ve been inspired by the wonderful insects in my garden this year. So, why not I fuse them into my art? I wanted to weave bright, vibrant colours with wallpaper patterns, comparing and contrasting nature with human design. Here are… Continue reading
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What bothers me
What bothers you and why? War bothers me. I mean it’s one thing if two opposing forces want to blow the living daylights out of each other, and people die who have volunteered to fight. At least there’s a personal… Continue reading
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It wasn’t me man, honest
List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain. I’m a small boy, standing next to my brother in our shared bedroom, quivering with fear. Our Mam is stood menacingly over us, stick in hand, screaming at us at the… Continue reading
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It wasn’t me Mam, honest.
I’m a small boy, standing next to my brother in our shared bedroom, quivering with fear. Our Mam is stood menacingly over us, stick in hand, screaming at us at the top of her voice. It’s a loud voice. “Which… Continue reading
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Living life to the full
Are you seeking security or adventure? Many years ago, when I was a young man, I visited my Dad, who lay dying in a hospital bed. “Make sure you enjoy your life,” he said. “I’ve had such a good life.… Continue reading
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My Perfect Dinner Party
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite? There’s no one famous I can think of that I’d like to meet more than my lovely friends and family. My wife… Continue reading
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Story Lines
What do you think gets better with age? Some things improve with age. Wine, whiskey, antiques and furniture, even steaks or cheeses. Other times, age spoils. Fruit, bread, cake, and flowers for example. Time can be a friend to some… Continue reading
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Sleeping Ugly
What time do you go to bed and wake up currently? I don’t know who wants to read this. It seems a highly personal topic for a blog, and not especially interesting, but here goes. I go to bed around… Continue reading
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Recurring Theme in My Life
What strategies do you use to increase comfort in your daily life? To increase my mental comfort: A cup of tea and a cake Seeing my mates (with a cup of tea and a cake) Music via headphones (with tea, without… Continue reading
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The art of growth
What are you most excited about for the future? I’m very excited about my tomato crops this year, my courgettes are looking especially promising, I’ve got some lovely iceberg lettuces growing and boy, you wanna see my strawberries! 🍓 😂… Continue reading
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The Burdens We Carry
What could you let go of, for the sake of harmony? What I need to let go of, or at least regulate, is my emotions. I’ve suffered with emotional dysregulation my whole life and it can be extremely difficult, both… Continue reading
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Music for my moods
What is your favorite genre of music? Asking what my favourite genre of music is, is like asking me what mood I’m in. Music is so strongly related to my emotions. Music calms me and lifts me. It brings me… Continue reading
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