Where the Hell Have I Been?

I was looking at my last post and noted it was the 8^th of February. That’s 3 and a half months ago. The image for that post was completely appropriate with the New Zealand Television test pattern serving as a kind of out of commission sign while I have dabbled in other interests. And what are these interests? They are not particularly exciting in reality. I’m not writing draft novels or composing songs, I’m not even brewing beer. I’m just playing catch up.

As much as I have wanted to get my written works out there, those seven years at home with the kids also reminded me it was time to catch up on a couple of other things. I decided the nine to five option should be revisited and believe it or not, it’s going quite well. I’m not setting the world alight by any means but there are things that you don’t get to do when you are home with the kids. Something as simple as getting a mid-morning coffee that I actually get to drink and that isn’t instant. And the most important plus of course – Talking to adults. This is something I’ve missed. Strangely even though I am working for UN climate change, I’m not talking politics or the weather. I’m talking about what my kids are doing to other peopled who are talking about what their kids are doing. Still, it is adult conversation. There are probably  people who act like children in my organization but as yet I haven’t come across them and if I do have to deal with them in a support function, I will probably get out the old kid gloves.

Good on ya Ireland! – The first country to allow same sex marriage by popular vote.

So what can happen in three months? Surely there is nothing much to relay. From my standpoint it has gone by in the blink of an eye. In that sense it feels as though very little has happened. I started my master’s degree in February and it seemed like my head was simply buried in one particular book and a series of research papers to support my assignments. I concede I have been writing but from an academic argument standpoint. It’s not fun in the same sense that fiction is but it may serve my writing well in the future. I am certainly improving my research. Because I have now seen what a university module does to my creative writing time, I will set myself a more realistic target. A monthly blog on the state of things will have to suffice while I’m in school. Think of it as me tuning in once in a while and getting my head back in the real world.

Now some would say that not much happens in the real world over a period of a month so it feel s like I could play catch up quite easily. In truth a lot happens and the last month it has been no different. On the hundredth anniversary of the Gallipoli landings there was a devastating earthquake in Nepal not far from Kathmandu and more than 8,000 people lost their lives. But with all of the bad news that can occur in a month there will be good news stories also. Think of them as the news world’s silver linings or in Ireland’s case in the last few days – a rainbow. As of yesterday Ireland became the first country in the world to allow same sex marriage by constitutional referendum. This is impressive when one thinks that Ireland and referendums almost always end up in ‘No’ votes (Call it a reluctance to change the status quo if you will). That said there are sixteen other countries as of 2015 who already allow same sex marriage and many states in the US as well as most of the UK. However the Ireland vote may bring it in to the international conscious with greater effect. That said when one looks to this list of countries there are some glaring omissions. One which is a surprise is Australia. Without knowing the history of homosexual law reform in Australia I imagine there will be calls to bring gay marriage into law very soon. But then lately Australia has been full of surprises. When getting Eurovision song contest updates on Saturday night, I was shocked to find out that Europe now extends its borders to the antipodes. Australia and Guy Sebastian were invited to compete. The crims even stole 5^th place! Where the hell have I been?