Guitars and Potatoes

This doesn't have very much to do with the defined subject matter of my blog...but if I don't put it in here I may forget it.

Yesterday I was walking back from the city centre toward the Cathedral and was just coming through Abbeygate street, when I passed a curious individual. He was an old man with grey hair wearing a red hat and his face was tanned in a weatherbeaten way - the face of someone who's spent most of his life out-of-doors. He was wheeling an old bike along the narrow footpath and looked like one of your typical free spirit, 'I've spent my life on the road' musicians. In his left hand he carried a simple guitar and because of the drizzling rain and the generally horrible weather conditions he had the body of it wrapped in (this is the best bit) an old potato bag. An empty, old, potato bag. When I saw that I knew that here was your genuine article. If I had a camera I would have taken a picture. If I didn't have to go and sit at a table for Societies Day I might even have followed him and found out if he was going to play anywhere. Music from a guitar that lives in an old potato bag must be something special.

The New Year

Happy New Year!

Past memories are poignant and precious; they speak of that other world, where I once fell, the one I face yet still most days. The world where the idealist approaches the brick wall of reality and either crashes into it and falls stunned to the ground, or, receiving a fresh surge of power, it lifts higher and flies above the monstrous concrete structure. This year, O God, may I fly higher.

'There is often conflict between the ideal and the practical, the remote and the immediate; and this conflict presents real problems. As idealists we may live on a different plane and with a different set of standards than the pragmatist. The idealist will, for instance, regard love as a higher broader basis of judgement than sheer retributive justice. He will seek to lay up treasure in heaven rather than upon earth. He will measure values in terms of service to others rather than benefit to self. We need constantly to life our sights above worldly standards - success depends upon the strength of our courage and conviction, upon the clarity with which we see issues.' (A wise person, whose name I never recorded)

I am excited about 2011. I believe it will be a good year - yes, we are sunk middle in a deep depression and the snow and ice are due back next Tuesday evening with temperatures of -6 degrees, but a flame of hope burns within me. It really does.

Motto: 'Go and do thou likewise' (Luke 11)