It is a while since I wrote anything here, mainly because I have had little to write about, no major inspirations... I still don't but I have decided to look back on 2013 and as much as I feel it has not been great, I have had some good experiences and feelings on occasion.
Highlight of the Year
It seems sad that my highlight of the year goes right back to the beginning, NYE was spent at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, there is really nothing that can ever top a Disney experience. The whole holiday spent with my family in Florida was amazing, but NYE is full of such hope, so much to look forward to... so spending it in such a magical place increases the hope, increases the dreams and increases the happiness.
Most Exciting Moment
For this I return to the Magic Kingdom, not on New Years Eve but later in the week when all of us in the family did something we have been wanting to do for a while... and that was meet Mickey Mouse. Crazy as it may seem, it is still a very special moment whether you are 5 or 50, just ask anyone who has been there.
As a music lover some of my special moments were spent at gigs. so the next few "moments and memories" are music related.
Best Large Live Gig
It is always very difficult to choose special moments especially when music is such a part of life that you enjoy all of the shows. The many I had to choose from this year included Green Day, Reading Festival, The Killers, Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine, For me however there was nothing to beat Green Day at The Emirates even though it is a horrible stadium, the show itself was fantastic. To have The Kaiser Chiefs playing was an added bonus. But Green Day never let anyone down and their shows are always incredible, exciting and something that creates an atmosphere that is never forgotten. To choose just one picture to sum this day up was impossible, as there were 3 hours in which to take pictures!
So instead I have added a link to a video I took during one of my favourite songs..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcYS4tppVTM
Best Small Gig
This was a tricky choice for so many reasons... But I finally went for Young Guns at the Louisiana in Bristol. The venue is wonderful and the show cheap!! For a band as big as Young Guns it was awesome... it brought back some great memories seeing them in places like Moles in Bath, and the atmosphere was fantastic making it a really intense show with some great company... oh and add the signing at the Vans shop earlier... and it was a great day all round...
My song of the year
Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
My album of the year
Its those guys again, Night Vision by Imagine Dragons, I just cannot stop listening to it, I love every song.
Classical Event of the year
I went to several classical events and many musical shows as well, but seeing Maksim live again for only the second time was something I will not forget. The man is such a talented pianist, and has magic fingers, I have never seen anyone play like him. Just in case anyone wants to know how good he is... click on the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgTPQMg1VfM
Moment of Peace
Although
there have been some great times, there have been many not so great
times too and the only way I survive these is by being able to take
myself away from reality even for an hour or so and immerse myself in
nature..It quite often involves water... be it by the sea or by a River.
Many will already know one of my favourite places in the whole world is
Cardiff Bay and many hours have been spent just sitting on the waters
edge allowing my troubles to be literally washed away... ok maybe not,
but I always feel calmer and able to face my traumas after a while here.
But my major moment was at 11am on 11th November (Remembrance
Sunday). I know the time and place because it is such an important day
in the calendar, and I know clearly how I felt at the moment.
Remembering all those fallen and disabled as a result of war... whilst
watching and listening to this...
This was taken at Swallow Falls at Betws Y Coed... Snowdonia... such a peaceful place in the winter, for the summer if I want peace, another place I go is the cliff top at Penarth.. the view from there is stunning.. and in the sunshine there is no where better...
Other moments worth mentioning for me are all the times with my family, there is nothing better than time spent with them. I also had a wonderful festive moment at St Fagans Museum singing carols in the beautiful chapel there, and a tearful moment watching Gary Barlow out in Afghanistan.
For 2014, I am hoping for a little luck... a period of time when things do actually go well...
I hope too that all my friends and family have a wonderful year...
HAPPY 2014!!!
It is almost a year since I have written, inspiration it seems deserted me, but I guess patience pays off sometimes and this is some thing that came to mind this week. Things I have realised over this last year... and finally I can actually put things into words.
The blog is called Compartmentalising, I do not know if this is the right word and certainly my spell check does not like it, but it works for me. This is how I live my life. This is how I believe I can be generally non-judgmental, this basically is how I cope.
Whether experts would consider this healthy, I doubt it and I know friends would disagree too. Isn't it all about sharing your life with the world? Dumping it all on someone elses shoulders and generally "getting over it" and "moving on" Well not for me....
We all have life stories, life experiences, which shape who we are, we learn from them.
However experience has shown me, many despite everything do not move on. They simply find it too hard, even with sharing, even with expert intervention. So despite learning lessons, some have this innate bitterness towards those who hurt them, or towards people like them.
In a sense I am too like them, although trying hard not to tar everyone with the same brush, there are some who I would find it hard being friends with. However I do not harbour bitterness. Bitterness that I have seen tear people apart, making them appear shy or to the other extreme plain nasty.
All of my unpleasant and nasty experiences in life are still there, never shared, still in the archives, but only to draw on the experiences. Each one has been filed separately, compartmentalised never to appear, unless I need to draw on the experiences.
Something I realise I am doing now, opening an archive, drawing on the experience and this is all good.
However back to the compartments, I full believe this has helped me to get through life, helping me through the bad experiences (which I am not going to detail... for obvious reasons). Each has been shut away, never to surface except in a positive way. Put at the back of my mind, enabling me to get through life in the best way that I can.
I have no bitterness toward anyone, as this eats us up destroys our soul. I kinda like my soul, wanting to hang on to it just as it is for as long as possible... In essence this helps me forgive, I may not forgive everyone publicly, but I forgive in my heart. This allows me to shut the door on the compartment and then hope and pray that those who cause the pain can realise the pain they caused and maybe apologise... allowing me to forgive wholeheartedly and maybe even repair the relationships.
I have deep respect for anyone who can make this kind of admission, and therefore I believe each person deserves a second chance... learning that sometimes this can make things even better. Both parties becoming better people as a result. Allowing new and greater relationships to develop.
I realise this may be a tad controversial, I also know this is not one of my best written pieces... but I am trying to share how I get through... This is how I forgive, this is how I cope, this is how I do not become torn apart by bitterness and anger... This is me.
Yes I get mad, yes I get hurt, but it is not forever. Anger and bitterness are not healthy for any of us, and these emotions need to be addressed however we do it.
