Audience of One

2005 Yearly Review

In keeping with age-old tradition (having done it twice before) I’m writing a yearly review. In this review I summarise what I’ve been doing over the past twelve months, and how I think it’s gone.

The problem is, twelve months ago seems like a completely different life. I was at school, of all places. I left school only six months ago and it feels like years.

So, this year was the year I became an adult. I started off with a miraculous birthday party (in that we couldn’t afford it, I wasn’t sure I wanted one anyway, and on the day I changed my mind we received an anonymous donation specifically to be spent on a party for me). I was also attempting to get this website finished, and attending university open days and interviews.

Time passed, and my A levels drew ever closer. I did well, but had a scary few hours after I failed to make the grades I needed to get into my first choice university. (They let me in anyway. Three months later, an exam was remarked and I got the grades needed, when it didn’t really matter.)

This year I’ve worked for the Masons (as a musician), the police (as a clerk), the local Conservative party (as an assistant in a council-run library) and a camera shop (as a sales assistant). I’ve visited family friends I haven’t seen since I was tiny (and have formed friendships with the children of my parents’ friends), I’ve done a theology exam and attended two youthwork training courses, I’ve bought a camera and started learning photography, and I’ve seen far too many/not enough films, depending on your perspective.

I’ve had a year of ups and downs. Still now I’m not on an even keel, but I’m getting there. I took a gap year to sort myself out (in various ways, especially financially) before university, and I’m sure that’s what I’ll continue to do.

Matthew @ 16:51, December 31, 2005 to Diary | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Christmas musings

Aah, Doctor Who. So quickly and yet so surely you have become, once again, firmly established in our lives.

I think I said most of what I wanted to yesterday.

Happy Christmas!

Currently not listening to the two Feeder albums David gave me, but only because relatives with a different taste in music are sitting next door

Matthew @ 20:16, December 25, 2005 to Miscellaneous | Permalink | Comments (0)

Christmas musings

This Christmas season I’ve really noticed how, even to me, the whole Christmas festival is fleeing from the “Christ” bit at the beginning.

I wrote this last year, and I’ve noticed it even more this year, what with working in retail. I’ve read a few blog entries on the subject, discussing whether or not as Christians we should partake in a secularised festival (the general feeling was that Christ’s birth is something to celebrate, so just be careful you think of that and not just the festival itself – a simplified view but there’s no need to go into it).

Christmas this year will be different. I’m having just tomorrow and Monday off, before returning to work. I never work Sundays or Mondays anyway, so this isn’t a proper holiday. We had our evening meal just now and I thought “it’s Christmas tomorrow” but it didn’t feel like it.

Why is there such an emphasis on “feeling Christmassy”, incidently? Talking to Chris on Sunday got me thinking about this. People seem to want to get into a “Christmassy mood”. What this involves (as far as I can tell) is feeling happy, maybe a touch childish and frivolous, and having Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer stuck on your brain. I’m quite happy that I’m not feeling Christmassy, have just made a reasonably frivolous statement and have now got Rudolph stuck on my brain, so paradoxically I am now complying to my own definition, even though the happiness is caused by not. This could go on forever.

It doesn’t feel like it’s Christmas tomorrow. This is because I’ve actually been out to work today, which is the first time I’ve ever worked on Christmas Eve. Is it important that it feels like Christmas though? I mean, we celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas but it’s not as if we believe that any more on this one day, so what’s the problem?

Incidently, cousin Sparticus has just finished his series on the origins of the Christmas festival which is worth a read. I quite like the theory (which isn’t mentioned) that Jesus must have been born in spring or autumn as that is when the shepherds would have been out on the hills. And just so everyone is quite clear, the only kings mentioned in the passage on Jesus’ birth are Herod and Jesus – and the wise men aren’t mentioned till later (probably two years chronologically). Mary may well have ridden on a donkey but it’s not mentioned, and the “inn” there was no room in was probably just a guest room of Joseph’s family home – they’d have ended up in the next-door room with the animals, of which there are no cows mentioned. Finally, Fair Trade chocolate advent calendars may taste great, but they’re still theologically erroneous.

Matthew @ 20:39, December 24, 2005 to Diary | Permalink | Comments (7)

Upcoming entries

Time is one of those really strange things. For weeks I’ve been working really hard on my days off from my salaried jobs, doing freelance stuff. Somehow, I managed to keep writing blog entries anyway.

Now, as soon as the site is actually finished, I haven’t been able to find the time to anything. Or rather, I’ve been taking a break from everything and haven’t done anything. Hence the Top Five I just posted.

I have many entries that I’ve been thinking about for months and haven’t got round to posting. So hopefully over the Christmas period I’ll manage to write all the serious entries I’ve been meaning to write.

Coming soon, part two of Sticking to a decision, a review of Awesome God (having been one of the fifty), comments on the theme of dating/courtship/marriage/romance etc. Oh, and I should have some more photos at some point. Not that they’re as interesting. I’ll be seeing The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe soon (no idea where the capitals should go)…

In other words, this entry is me filling time because I can’t be bothered don’t have the energy to write any of the above entries now.

Currently listening to Butterflies & Hurricanes – Muse

Matthew @ 15:39, December 18, 2005 to Diary | Permalink | Comments (7)

Things I should have done ages ago but didn't

1. Give the library my bank details so I can actually get paid.
2. Change all the “other pages” on this blog so people can find them and they’re actually up to date.
3. Upgrade Movable Type.
4. Email people who have been waiting for weeks for a response,
5. Write a blog entry.

Matthew @ 15:36, December 18, 2005 to Top Five | Permalink | Comments (0)

She's got a chicken to ride

When singing Beatles songs, try to use the correct lyrics rather than making up alternative versions, or the new version will go round and round your head for hours.

Matthew @ 17:42, December 10, 2005 to Advice | Permalink | Comments (1)

Politics update

Congratulations (*ahem*) to David “Tory Blair” Cameron for becoming the new Conversative leader. I am very disappointed that he won because he might actually have a chance of winning the next election. That said, Gordon Brown should do quite well even though I think he lies as much as Blair. According to an illustrious economist Brown hasn’t done brilliantly at managing the economy (though he’s a fantastic bluffer) and won’t be much better (I feel) in charge of the country. Still, better than Cameron (who managed to miss a vital part of his recent speech). What does Cameron stand for by the way? Somehow in this entire leadership competition I haven’t heard anything about his policies that’s stuck in my brain. I can only seem to remember I thought they were old Conservative nonsense dressed up in new clothes.

The Lib Dems have been a bit quiet recently… pity, really. This was a prime opportunity to move in on the Conservatives. Ah well, hopefully Cameron’s policies will be shown to be fallacious soon enough. (Well, I live in hope… it’s eight years and no-one’s seemed to notice Labour’s fallacies…)

…

That feels much better now I’ve got all that off my chest. Stupid British politics.

Currently listening to Feeding A Moment – Feeder

Matthew @ 20:00, December 6, 2005 to Politics | Permalink | Comments (7)

A series of (unfortunate/fortunate) events

Fortunate: Working in a camera shop means I am first line of enquiry when a customer decides to sell his 20D.

Unfortunate: As the 20D is a beautiful and brilliant camera, it’s rather expensive.

Fortunate: Second-hand, it’s a third of the price.

Unfortunate: That’s still three hundred and thirty pounds, with memory card etc. being extra.

Fortunate: I’ve just been paid.

Unfortunate: The customer is going away for two weeks and doesn’t have the camera on him.

Fortunate: I’m stopping this fortunate/unfortunate thing as I’ve run out of things to say.

So anyway, I am now the owner of a three-month old Canon 20D digital SLR in perfect condition. Currently, my photography isn’t great but having a digital camera means no expense in practicing (and colleagues at work have promised to critically comment to help me improve).

My first expedition with the camera was to the University of Bristol to visit a friend. During my stay I caught freshers’ flu which left me completely dead for a couple of days and I’m still recovering. (I slept for fifteen hours Saturday night.)

This week I have a website to finish and launch (a jewellery website for a friend’s business), an exam to prepare for, and of course work. I think I’ll watch a film this evening.

Currently listening to Drive My Car – The Beatles

Matthew @ 16:49, December 5, 2005 to Diary | Permalink | Comments (12)

Ideas of an exhausted invalid

Me: Wouldn’t it be great if you could have the benefits of being ill – reading books and watching TV all day, not having to think about work – without actually having any of the symptoms? All they do is spoil it!

Dad: Yes, Matthew, that’s what’s called a “day off”.

Me: And wouldn’t it be great if you could wrap yourself up warm in a duvet while in the bath? That way you wouldn’t have to worry about the water getting cold!

Mum: Dear, don’t you think you should go to bed?

Me: And that’s another thing! Sleep! Sleep is so good, but wouldn’t it be great if you could sleep while doing something else, like work? That way you could sleep all day while serving customers and be wide awake in the evening!

Parents: Bed! Now!

Matthew @ 10:16, December 1, 2005 to Diary | Permalink | Comments (17)