I have been nominated to do the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) challenge by an old School friend. The challenge is to do 22 press ups every day for 22 days. The reason for this challenge is that 22 service people take their own lives every day.Something needs to be done about this.
You will find the video on YouTube
Thank you for reading
Kind Regards
St.John
Have had a torrid couple of months. I learned in May that a good friend had suddenly passed away. Liz was a bright spirit, she spoke her mind but would always seek to do you good. I am told that she had a temper but I am fortunate never to have witnessed it. I will always remember at the one meeting her encounter with my wife which resulted in a big hug. Yes she was a hugger, of both people and trees. If you were down she could usually get you laughing. It was a shock to hear of her passing and then seven days later another shock.
I have been very active in seeking out the spirituality that feels right to me and in this searching I came into contact with a guy called Owen. Seven days after hearing of Liz I saw a Facebook message that filled me with dread. It was a message of support for Owen's family. I immediately messaged a mutual friend to find out the awful truth. Owen had died that morning following post surgical complication. He was 42.
It is a huge regret that I feel that I had not spoken with him for years. Increasing time required with my family and him becoming a father and struggling with work and spending time with his partner, well just life really. A week became a month and then a year.
I still recall our last conversation on the phone. I was at work and gave him a call and we shared stories of how things were in our lives. After that I took comfort that he was out there doing his thing. The truth is I owed him. When we lost our little girl Dannielle in 2000 he was the one that called and kept me going. He'd usually get me laughing and helped me and my wife through that time. For that I am forever grateful.
This has made me consider things. There are people that I consider family out there that I have not spoken with for far too long. It is high time that I changed this.
As always thank you for reading
Kind regards
St.John
Hi all. It's been a while! his is a general update. Following my illness that saw me being off work for several months, I have returned to work. I've been back for two months but have moved. I'm in a different place in a new job. It is taking a while to get up to speed with the new role but I am getting there.
I will be updating this blog much more regularly.
In the mean time if you are into sci-fi then check out my friend's reaction to the up coming Star Wars film Rogue One
Thanks for reading
Kind Regards
St.John
As I posted yesterday there haven't been any posts from me for a while. I think it was an allergic reaction to January, iand a general lack of motivation due to my illness.
The last five months have seen a thining of the celebrity heard. It is odd that you never realise the effect that some of these people have on you. Both David Bowie and Lemmy Kilmister played a significant part in the soundtrack of my youth, and it would be remiss to say that Prince also had an influence. Terry Wogan deserves a mention for making my mother incapable of anything due to the sudden mirth he was able to impart on those mornings when she was packing us off to school. It is very sad that these people are no longer here.
So I am back at work. There has been a scary learning curve and I think it is safe to say that I am still learning. It is enjoyable though, however given the attitude of HMG to the public sector I wonder how long it will remain so.I am being helped in this return to work by a gentleman by the name of John C. Parkin. I have recently bought his book "F**k It! It is the most profound, profane and entertaining philosophy I have ever read. My wife is sick of my sudden outbursts of laughter and the quotes... oh the quotes! I highly recommend this work. It is available from good book shops and online the ISBN is 978-1-78180-296-0.
Well that's all for now.
Thanks for reading.
Kind regards
St.John
It is a week on from a big company event and I feel reluctant. My apathy centres around of all things reading, i particular self-development books.
Now I know these books or rather the information in them is likely to help me. So what was the problem?
The answer is simple. I had gotten out of the habit of reading, I had chosen to stop. On realising this I had a decision to make. Carry on as I am and stay the same - not really a good idea! Or choose to make the effort and pick up the books again.
I have gone with the latter and recommited myself to read ten pages per day. Sometimes this means reading five pages twice, especially if I find the information powerful like I did this morning. The book, Leading an Inspired life by Jim Rohn, an excellent place to start, the chapters are short and powerful. It covers everything from personal relationships to business, dealing with negativity and success.
So off I go having chosen to make a difference to me.
Thank you for reading.
Kind regards
St.John
I am glad that is all over. Hope everyone had a great Yule tide and best wishes for a Happy New year 2016.
I have to admit that the festive season this year has left me drained (emotionally and well you know). I could do with a holiday - for my US readers a vacation, but that isn't going to happen any time soon.
There is a lot going on this year, but I am most excited by the Marvel film Dr Strange - a childhood favourite. I just hope that they tighten up the origin story a bit. I went back and read the original story and hmm.
There is also an extra day in February and the Rio Olympics later in the year.
That is all for now. I will be writing again over the next few days.
Kind regards
St.John
I have seen and heard various film critics wax lyrical about various films having a hidden meaning and what those meanings are. Some of these are actually confirmed by the director but most appear to be opinions.
Now sometimes these are fairly obvious and I must admit that if this not the case I tend not to worry about it. For me films are about entertainment.
Spoiler Alert! If you haven't already seen the film there are some significant spoilers below. You have been warned.
I have just finished watching Jurassic World and was hit by the allegory that appeared to me in that film. Now I have not seen any commentary about this work so this is my take on this and should not be taken as what the makers were trying to get at.
I was unable to see the film at the cinema so had to wait until it came out on DVD release. Well I watched it and enjoyed it, probably not as much as Jurassic Park but it was worth it. I'd give it a 7 out of 10. I've not written anything like this before so comments and questions are welcome.
To me this is an allegory of current employment practices. The Director of the park (upper management) sees and refers to the dinosaur exhibit as resources, things to be used which is true today of many employees.
These resources are not living things but numbers on a spreadsheet and this is mentioned in the film. The ultimate resource is a new genetically created dinosaur which is a metaphor for new but adverse working conditions. This resource creates chaos and requires those with special training - the raptors (human resources) to take the beastie down.
The trainer of the raptors immediately realises that this new beastie is not a good thing, he represents company policy, the rules and regulations that dictate how employer deals with employee and vice versa.
But if you notice, the raptors are only just under control, this refers to interpretation of policy and will turn on you given the slightest opportunity. They then join in with the beastie having realised that they have something in common. It is not until they again meet up with the trainer that they realise that there is something wrong and turn on the big beastie and get a good hiding.
It isn't until the old work force (T-Rex) is brought in that the tide turns and the big beastie is fed to the shark eating big alligator (namely the lawyers, though of course some would see this as a mixed metaphor but hey I didn't write the film).
The two children represent the effects that this has on the workforce, and those effects are not initially apparent when the beastie gets loose.
So what do you think. Have I interpreted the underlying theme of the film or am I way out? Seriously I'd love to hear your comments.
Thanks for reading
Kind regards
St.John
