Thursday, March 17, 2011

A Day in the Life, Pripyat and all that nonsense


Today I had to wonder. There are people in Japan searching for survivors; there are people in Japan trying to douse nuclear reactors with water. There are journalists disappearing in Libya.

And what am I doing? Some research on an access dispute to a private beach.

I'm not saying for a moment I'd be volunteering to stand on the edge of a nuclear reactor with a watering can. Let's just say I've seen pictures of Pripyat, the ghost town near the Chernobyl power station in the Ukraine. I've seen the fun fair rusting away in a post nuclear time warp. I've seen the deformities.


But also it seems incongruent that I seem to have spent most of this week being bitch slapped over trivialities: I've been caught up in tedious details over budgets and interpretations by people who have had a sense of humor bypass operation.

"Hmmm Mrs. Jones. It seems your sense of humor is in the surgical waste dump. I'm sure you'll do very well without it, thank you very much."

And can you say what you really want to say? Can you take a breath and just tell them to get a life because there are people dying in Japan and Libya and Bahrain.

The world's been so crazy of late that people have even been dying in New Zealand and, I mean, nobody's supposed to die in New Zealand because it's safe and staid and stuck in the 1950s and peopel still have net curtains and the only cause of death is normally old age.

Yet against such a background of death and despair do people gain perspective? Not in my experience. They twist and they turn and get lost down blind alleys of obfuscation. And they pull me down those dark alleyes with them. Right now I could use a ball of string to get out of this maze.

It sounds like a cliche but I'd like to do something for kids. If I carry on like this I might be a contender for Miss World. Assuming I looked differently and was a different sex and all that. I'd like to do something for world peace. I coulda been a contender, I coulda been somebody instead of a bum.

I'd like to do something where I made a tangible difference, beyond that of causing a local authority to drop its policy manual. I'd like to say I'd helped install a water system for an impoverished village. I think I could do third world poo now; just not radiation.

I'd do anything, to be honest, to ensure I didn't become that worker in Califonia who died at his desk and his colleagues didn't notice for a couple of days. I can only assume he wasn't on the coffee rota.

Anyway I've just remembered this blog post was meant to celebrate my 100th follower. I can't thank you folks enough because I had about 20 followers this time last year. And I know I am biased in this but I have no doubt I have the most fantastic, articulate and erudite followers of any blogger out there in the crazy blogisphere.

And I also wanted to thanks Lidia for the award I received today, which I'll shove on the mantlepiece next to the three ducks on the wall and the couple of Oscars.

For Excellence in Sound Editing on a 5 minute Film about Papua New Guinea.

15 comments:

  1. Congrats on the 100 followers. That is a huge accomplishment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really appreciate your sincerity and thoughtfulness. Your depth shines through in all your writing, especially your more recent posts. I'm obviously not your only fan. CONGRATS on bypassing 100!
    xoRobyn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congrats on your 100th follower, your award and being a contender for Miss World. I can lend you my tiara if you'd like.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What I really want to say to this is jumbled in my head and I can't push it out, but please know that many many of us feel this way.

    I know that I won't/can't be the hero in any situation, but maybe, for you, the things that do happen because of you add up to the bigger contribution.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congrats 100. I can see you are very passionate writer! Thanks for visiting my blog. You asked me if I miss London, the answer is- Yes! I speak of it on my blog, if you scroll through it, I look across the pond a bit like the Lutenants Woman.


    Author of The Greek Seaman novel, Secret Passion of Twins, short story and Amorphous Angelic, selected Poems and artist.

    http://jacquelinehowett.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know what you mean. We want to feel like our being here has made a difference, like we have done some good, or made life better for someone. There is such overwhelming sadness and tragedy everywhere right now, that it makes us feel like we ought to be doing something to help, something significant. It's an uneasy feeling.

    Congratulations on having 100 followers! Hope you enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  7. First of all David, congrats on reaching 100 followers. I have a feeling the second hundred will happen much faster.

    Your last couple posts on the state of our world are spot-on. You are capturing thoughts and feelings a lot of us are having these days. That's the sign of a real writer my friend.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A thoughtful and well-written post, David. People like YOU give people like me hope.

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have thoughts like all the time. When you see all the insanity going on there are two ways to react, I think. You either say, thank God I am where I am or you say, why the hell am I not there doing something important?

    I alternate between the two on a regular basis.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ditto to all of the above.

    You look absolutely fabulous for 100.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congratulations on your 100th follower, you will be on 500 before you know it. I love your blog and am always pleased to see you have a new post up.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Props to you for reaching 100 readers and for the special award you received. I thoroughly enjoy your writing and always find it thought provoking. ...It seems like you and I are having similar thoughts. Today I did my first guest post over at The Adventures of Cinderita. It is about the indomitable human spirit and how inspiring people are even in the midst of tragedy. Please stop by and say hello.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks Oilfield. I was stuck at under 20 for ages so it's good, but more time consuming. Thanks Robyn, you are too kind but your blog is so very funny, especially the guy ads. you find. Thanx Daft Scots lass, a tiara may come in handy one day. Err thanks Debroah, fraid I missed hairy chest Friday today. Thanks for visiting Jaqualine, I must check out your books. Cheers Daisy, have a great weekend too. Cheers Tim, have welcomed yor comments ever since my followers comprised a couple of folks and a dog. That's scary Pearl. I think it was just brandy, I never get round to doing much, sadly. yeah me too Christopher, I need more resolve. cheers Nubian, i know you are always around to bitch slap my posts int shape. You are too kind Frog, well yours is always great to read. For sure Empress, I'll check out The Adentures of Cinderita...

    ReplyDelete
  14. Congrats on your century....people shun pain unless its their own...and for some if pain is a common occurrence, it loses the empathy value...like at the Mumbai airport last week, people were clapping for India's cricket antics showing on one screen while the other depicted the devastating images of a broken Japan...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Congrats on the 100 followers!!
    I'm glad that you bypassed 100.

    I'm sure you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your blog has been recognized...because it's really good!
    Your writing is fascinating, David.
    But most of all your posts actually have something to say...respond directly to the interests and needs of your readers.

    Betty

    ReplyDelete

On Blog PTSD

Now then. What the heck. It seems I had forgotten about my blog completely rather than just neglecting it this time. To return after so long...