Year: 2018

The balancing act

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Hi, I was sat in traffic the other day listening to the radio. By the way, and just for clarity, I do mean sat in a car waiting for the queue to start moving. I wasn’t actually in the road with a radio next to me. That would be odd. Even for me. 🙂 One of the interviewees mentioned that now well-loved phrase: putting on your own oxygen mask first. As the traffic began to move, so did the rusty gears in my head. 🙂 Thinking about some of the parenting books I read – which, admittedly, is now some time ago – they also used that phrase. Looking after yourself before you can truly be able to look after […]

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Better with friends

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Hi, Another Thursday, another good night out. A few weeks ago, I’d caught sight of a news item about how modern life is making many people lonely. Social media may connect us, but – IMHO – it’s not the full experience of meeting someone. Text on a screen with no tone, sparkle of eyes, or knowing look. Not that the article was to demonise such technology, more draw light on how it affects us. Have you sat in a restaurant or similar, and seen couples or families all looking at their phones, rather than talking to each other? A new top thanks to the Ever Lovely Mrs J and a snap by Val. Now, don’t get me wrong, I find […]

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Compliments

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Hi, Over on the Chameleons’ forum, one of our members, Steph, posted a happy incident in which she’d complimented a stranger and had a very positive reaction. I think paying someone a sincere compliment is both great and yet, sometimes tricky. I think it’s tricky because well, there’s A) a chance that you’ll get it wrong and offend, and/or B) that the person may not take the compliment. In terms of the latter, there’s the whole gig around what are they after?, are they hitting on me?, to I’m not used to strangers saying this! That last one – people saying nice things – is something I struggle with. With family, well, most of the time it’s good-natured teasing, so compliments […]

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Good things

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Hi, I think that there are times when it’s all about the simple things in life. Take today for example, the cooler weather meant I could ditch the baggy trousers and sandals, returning to my preferred jeans and Converse trainers look. Yes, I am a Dad of a certain age, but team the previous with a fancy shirt and I’m feeling more myself. Funny how the right clothes help you out huh? With all the sun of late, it seems it’s an early blackberry season too. Now, other than feeling okay with how I look, if there’s one pleasure of the summer…. okay, other than a nap in the sun or ice cream on a hot day… for me, it’s got […]

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The Second Train

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Hi, Over in the Chameleons milabox, we recently received an email from a media company, TellyJuice, about a short documentary they’d made. Usually, media requests are for people to appear in a production, or take part in some reality TV production. The better ones – the education, the sensitive, etc – I post on the forum. The other stuff, welcome to /dev/null/ (Ed: for non-nerds, Lynn means the bin. Or t’bin if you’re proper North 🙂 ) So, this video, which may appear below if I can get the web code right, was very different. I found it moving, deeply personal, sensitive, and beautifully filmed. While it brought forth a tear, I think that was bittersweet: I was happy that they’d […]

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Being me once again

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Hi, This week, a blog post of two halves, or what a difference a night out makes 😉 Pre It’s midweek while I write this and I’m beginning to feel the ache – because ‘pain’ doesn’t quite nail it – of having been ‘Richard’ since late May. Sure, I’ve missed a meeting or two here and there, but mostly I get by. This time, there’s been no dressing while working from home to help fill the gap, and with Wee Man and Little Miss now on summer break, that’s not an option right now. The ache, if you will, goes in fits and starts. I can feel my temper coming too quick, which I know is wrong. The excessive heat […]

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