Fuzzy Socks and Wrap-Around scarves

Breathe in the crisp air,
August quickly fades away,
Welcoming cold days.

Numb fingers wrapped,
Around coffee scented mugs,
Many books to read.

Warm, knitted jumpers,
Fuzzy socks, wrap-around scarves,
Goodbye summer days.

Him

He had the stars on his back,

One thousand suns, yet he still saw himself as ordinary.

Eyes shielded by lowered lids, masking bright blue brilliance, buried treasure in the sunlit sea,

lips parted by thought, dribbling uniquely crafted prose, pondering the once dull air,

and hands held high with hope, carrying a beacon of imagination for those who claim no cares.

A mind moulded with memories and mannerisms of a mindless child,

Welcome to weapons of wonderment, standing fearless before long anticipating audiences,

Laughing playfully as they linger upon every hand picked word.

Baring his soul before the masses, each admirer taking home stories of a man who was born to write,

Four-twenty and forever a seasick soul fishing for poems under a starburst sky.

Smile

"Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking."

                                                  ~ Charlie Chaplin


Being surrounded by so many talented people can be both a blessing and a curse. No matter how considerate or humble a person is, the pain of not being good enough will always hurt just as much as it did the first time. 

It is so hard not to blame individuals who were chosen over you. If you walk into a friendship group made up of those working the same field as you, then you need to prepare yourself for these situations. You need to remind yourself each and every day that you are all different, you are all talented in your own right and no competition, title, fan club, organisation or opinion can take that away from you.

There will come a time where you need to take your turn in the back seat whilst they venture out under the super trouper's rage. You will need to make sacrifices, you will need to be considerate and you will need to remember that your success does not define you. And hopefully one day they will do the same for you. 

When they gain an opportunity over you, remind yourself they have the right to feel proud of themselves too, just like you would. And as a friend you should feel proud of them, because if the roles were reversed, remind yourself of how much you would want them to support you with your achievements. 

Smiling even though your heart is aching is one of the hardest things to do, but remind yourself that there is no point in crying, smiling makes life more worthwhile. As some famously talented guy once said. 

Moments

Life is short and uncertain. It's like a thread of moments, woven together into one beautiful story, and we all have one. No matter how hard someone's chapter becomes, there's still a silver lining after every page. Like the sunrise, like how green the grass is after a thunderstorm, like the city skyline and the lingering smell of perfume your mother leaves down the stairs before she goes out.

It's 2am and I can't sleep, panicked over the fact that in a moment this will all be gone. My bed, my clothes, my room, my beautiful furry little companion sat beside me (bella my kitty). And when it is, what do I leave behind? In 100 years time, will anyone know who I am? Or who you are?

But then I remember, I'm not living for anyone else, I'm not living for a legacy, I'm living for me. So in 100 years time if no one remembers my name, I've seen the sunset along the shore with my toes in the sand on San Antonio Bay and that's good enough for me. And for a day have you ever tried living like every moment is your last? Try it, it's like a permanent high. The air feels so much fresher, the buildings become new again, the cars suddenly become so much more spectacular and the people...there are so many people. Ever thought about that? There's millions of them, they all have thoughts, stories, loved ones, pain, excitement, dreams and a past. Sometimes I forget that and feel like I'm the only person in the world with a running conscience, like no one else talks to themselves. Spectacular isn't it? How we all have thoughts...

Back to my point....moments...this is one. Right now you're reading this and in a moment you won't. Wonder if it's made any difference to your life. It's just a few sentences strung together....like moments....a thread of moments, woven together into one beautiful story, and we all have one.

Beautiful Birmingham

We spend so much of our time rushing, we forget to stop and look at what's around us.

There was a moment today where I sat on the edge of the fountain in Victoria Square with a loved one and actually spared a moment to take in my surroundings. Birmingham City Centre is such a beautiful place. I often see it so busy, there's usually a constant flow of traffic, tourists and residents bustling through the streets. The faint sounds of buskers lighting the summer air and the chatter of people immersed in crowds surging towards various destinations.

It was around 7pm and the city had finally simmered down, welcoming the glimmers of a peaceful summer evening. The two of us sat there and admired the carvings decorating the Town Hall and contemplated who and what occupied the many beautiful buildings surrounding us.

At one point a strange man (who had once ruffled my boyfriend's hair) approached us and the both of us simultaneously sighed, probably a little unfairly, as we both just assumed he would ask for money. However we were pleasantly surprised at the fact he just came over and spoke to us. Strange isn't it? To think that strangers rarely ever feel comfortable merely speaking to one another. He spoke happily about what a glorious day it had been how down he feels when it rains. He questioned what we were up to and was honestly interested to know what we thought about a film we had just gone to see in the cinema (22 jump street btw- bloody brilliant). As he left, the both of us smiled and agreed that we were genuinely happy that he wanted to come and speak to us.

As we walked slowly to our bus stops we looked around and grinned at the wonderful buildings planted along the city streets and were excited at the thought of what and who were nested behind their doors.

There is so much history in this city and so much yet to discover, I am thoroughly looking forward to more lazy summer evenings where I can discover more of my home town one small adventure at a time.

Dear reader...

Take away my phone, take away my computer, and give me a pen and a single sheet of paper.

I will write you a letter.

Now I don’t know about you…but the only letters I receive are bad news, bills and more bad news.

But imagine one dull, completely normal and not very spectacular morning. The sky is a cloak of grey. Imagine the still air, not a single song, no birds today. Your alarm rings and the little person in your head is screaming again and again to get up and all you want to do is shut away the world in tiny safe for a day….and swallow the key….but suddenly….

Imagine this dreary morning, one letter changes everything.

Imagine this letter is written on the smoothest paper you have ever touched, the words as you trail over them indent passion into the page….and here is how it begins:

The weather is nice today. If it is grey, great because there are only blue skies to look forward to. 

If there are blue skies and sunshine then look up and devour an ocean that will never fall. 

If it is raining step outside and feel the sky cry. Feel the tears of joy because the clouds have just witnessed a mother lay eyes on her new born baby. Feel the tears of sadness because the stars have just seen yet another girl being dragged from her bed to fulfil the needs of a man twice her age. If the sky splashes lightening and throws down a handful of thunder then appreciate that you’re stood there with a roof over your head whilst the Palestinian cries because there’s no home left.

Treasure the searing sound of your alarm at 6:30am and appreciate the fact that you actually woke up and that the searing sounds weren’t screams of the tortured or bombs blasting an entire village into an eternal sleep….

Sleep in a bed woven in safety and comfort,

And how about the next time you’re on your way, carrying out your ordinary day, you actually take in the colours. Stop moaning for summer because there’s so much of every season to discover.

And view rush hour traffic jams as an unwanted gifts from the city, but a gift none the less. We speed down the roads so fast we hardly soak in the view surrounding us. Like how people actually built the buildings around us, how the streets once didn’t exist and how at night the street lights wouldn’t pave the way so nightlife had a completely different meaning.

Go back to believing the moon follows your car only to watch if you got home safely and know that if you’re ever feeling lonely, then she’ll be there, guiding you to the ends of the earth until the sun takes over and embraces you into a ray of warmth even if white smoke escaping your breath on a winter morning stops you from feeling it.

Are you seeing this?

“The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love” now these are words of worth.

Hold the door open for a following stranger and thank those who are kind in return,

Smile because laughter and joy dance in the corner of your lips like a forbidden kiss.

And for a moment just enjoy being you, and know that nobody else could do it better,

Follow your dreams, be a go getter.

Surround yourself with positivity and positivity will surround itself with you,

Light a candle on a cold winter’s morning and lose yourself in secret stories, around campfires with friends in the summer glory.

You’re breathing, you’re alive and you have so much potential,

I already know you can be, but show the rest of the world you’re incredible.

Wishing you the kindest moments and unforgettable pleasures,

Yours sincerely

Taking a Leap of Faith

Too often we're told all the reasons we can't do something. Recently I've had the incredible fortune of meeting so many brave individuals who have advised me to just "go for it". No matter the dream or ambition.

I'm a worrier, so one of those people who have to sit down and plan one action over and over again before I even attempt making thoughts a possibility. Though organisation is a vital skill to have and will greatly support you in the future especially with management and planning, it can also act as safety mechanism, stopping you from taking that leap of faith.

So say you have an idea, an idea you feel will make a difference in society. Share your idea, gather a force of volunteers...people are looking for something to do! They will help you, just ask. Then establish your idea. I've spent a year debating whether I should turn my initiative into an organisation in it's own right, after much sought after advice, I came to the conclusion...all I need is a few hours and a little bit of patience and I'm pretty much there.

I fathomed for a ridiculous amount of time whether I should pitch for funding....I sent off an application last week...I have a debit card and bank account with a £500 grant in it this week. Though it may not seem like much, it is enough to start up my first event, my first steps into this world as the owner of a rising ambition.

Life is far too short not to carry out your dreams, the worst situation to be in, is when you look back and regret all the things you never managed to do. You never want to be in the position where you have to say to yourself "it's too late".

So make a list of 5 things you want to have done before the end of this year and do them! Be sensible though, visiting every country in the world in one year might be a bit stretched- one step at a time. But creating a manageable list is definitely a thought to excite yourself over...good luck catching dreams!