Out in the White!

Hey there dear blog reader! Here in the UK we had a smidgen of snow over the weekend, I say a smidgen because compared to the rest of Europe, who’ve been bombarded with the white stuff, we’ve had it lucky! Here in snowy Cambridge we had around 6 inches, not much really, and certainly not enough to complain about! On my way to work this morning I counted at least 20 snowmen dressed in their finest winter clothing.

I was compelled to pull over at one point and take a few photos of the mist rising over the snow drenched fields. Although I took them in haste I think they look pretty good. Click the snaps to make them all big and impressive!

The majority of the roads were clear of snow by Monday morning with the exception of a few isolated villages I drive through. Looks kinda lonely doesn’t it?

This one didn’t come out quite as well as it looked on my phone, you can’t see the mist moving which is a shame. It looked very eerie but quite peaceful.

This is my favourite one. The two trees are quite stark and isolated amidst the snow, almost as if they’ve huddled together for a bit of company.

And finally this one turned out quite well. Every day I drive past this thing, a factory or something, and I never took any notice of it. Until today when I couldn’t quite see it because of the mist swelling across the fields.

I’m still impressed with the quality of images my Nokia N8 can take. There are newer, faster, more interconnected Facebooky mobile phones on the market these days but I still think mine has an awesome camera feature.

The Last Text Message

You can call me a pessimist if you like. I won’t blame you. If I’m still around to place any blame that is. These will probably be the last words I write for a number of reasons. Firstly because I don’t much paper to write on and there’s no way on Earth I’m going outside to find any. I’m hungry, starving in fact, but I’m not risking what would likely be my final moments looking for scraps of paper.

Secondly I can hear more of them moving around outside which means my time is running out.  I hardly make any noise but they know I’m in here. Don’t ask me how. Smell maybe. Or some twisted ass sixth sense. Whatever. It’s only a matter of time before they find a way in. Waiting for it to happen is driving me insane. Last night I had a conversation with my mother. We chatted about stuff, nothing in particular, then she slipped away.

Funny. She died eight weeks ago.

The only thing that keeps me from losing the rest of my marbles completely is writing this. I stop and start. I question whether it’s worth it. I know I’m talking to myself, whispering at the darkness. Sometimes the darkness answers. I find that strangely comforting. I’ve been tempted to smash down the door and leap into the hungry arms of the crowd outside. Every time I stand at the door listening to them scratching and breathing on the other side I pull back.

I return to my bed and close my eyes. I say bed. I mean dirty mattress on the floor. One more day. I promise myself this every time. Maybe things will look better in the morning. So you see I’m not all negative. I’ve been writing in tiny letters, trying to preserve what paper I have left in my note pad.

Brb.

Back. Thought I heard something on the roof. Ha. Old habits. Brb. Technology bred a generation of abbreviation addicts. Who did I think I was saying be right back to? Habits are hard to scrape off. Just thought of another reason why I’m writing this. I want someone to find it one day. Yeah, wishful thinking I know, but perhaps way in the future someone will read this.

If that’s you: HI! I’m Henry and I’m dead, or will be by the time you read this.

I’m guessing you don’t understand what text messages are but you should understand the conversation regardless.

All I ask is don’t think bad of me. I tried, okay?

What Inspires You?

What does the word “inspiration” mean to you?

Does it conjure up images of an artist sloshing paint across a canvass? Monet perhaps, inspired by the play of light on water and the dream-like colours of the flowers. Or a writer inspired to pen a story about a real life event, and in turn potentially inspiring countless more who read their words.

How about a lonesome musician scribbling notes across a page above a worn out piano? Elton John was inspired to sing Candle in the Wind because of the life of Marilyn Monroe. Many associate that song with Princess Diana, and no doubt it continues to inspire people every time it’s played.

Maybe something less glamorous?

An ordinary person going out of their way to help an elderly neighbour in the winter because they saw post sticking out of their letter box.

Mundane right? Not really if you consider how that person was inspired by the letters. Why are they still there? Why hasn’t my neighbour collected them? Maybe something is wrong. I should investigate. I am inspired to help.

You don’t have to be a “creative type” to be inspired.

As a writer I am inspired by the beautiful world around me. But those slithers of positivity aren’t limited to words on my screen. If you read my post Christmas Cheer – The Big Issue Guy, where I wrote about helping out a homeless guy with a hot meal, you’ll see that inspiration can strike in the most unexpected places. Pay it forward – a simple and effective moral I like to keep in my mind at all times.

I think of inspiration as a brief connection to something or someone. How the connection is made isn’t important, physical, mental, spiritual, it can have a profound effect on your outlook on life or be as simple as checking on your neighbour or a stranger in need.

So where do we find our inspiration?

I’d like to introduce you to a website called Pure Inspiration – www.pure-inspiration.co.uk which is all about capturing how and why inspiration is important to us all.

It would mean a lot to me if you could hop over there and have a look around, fill in the guest book and soak up some pure positivity.

Pure Inspiration has been designed by my sister, Leigh. She is currently on maternity leave after popping out baby #2. Whilst away from work she decided to improve her skills by joining a web design course. Pure Inspiration is much more than a web design project for her, it captures the essence of who she is.

As we travel the journey of life we meet many different people, from dull lifeless husks who seem to live in a bubble of grey and pessimism, to those vibrant characters that shine so bright they dazzle. I often wonder if everyone could see the energy aura that surrounds us all whether people would reach for their sunglasses when they see my sister.

Let me paint you a picture.

Think of people as pure energy. You walk down the street and look with your true eyes. Here and there you see people who shine, a shimmering mirage of colour that surrounds and radiates from them – these people wear a rainbow suit. They are so very different from the weak grey cloud that lingers around others. That isn’t to say the grey people shun positivity, they simply show it at different times, or maybe they seldom lower their defences and open up to the world.

My sister shines.

I’ve not had the privilege to meet many people who dazzle and inspire like my sister. One blogging pal stands out from the crowd, Joss Burnel at The Crowing Crone.

She shines. And like my sister she walks in beauty.

Like Joss, my sister believes in the power of positive thought. It shows. I figure I have a decent outlook on life, I’m patient, smiling, thoughtful and offer support to anyone who needs it. But my sister takes all of these aspects and many more and blends them together with ease to shine with such force that even a text or five-minute phone call from her is enough to lift me for a week.

2012 – Doom & Gloom or are we mistaken?

When I told my sister I was going to blog about her new website, she asked me to mention the Mayan calendar and how we might be looking at it the wrong way. She said she’d read somewhere that the doomsday scenario that surrounds this much documented event isn’t about the end of times but the start of something better. Something the Mayans couldn’t or wouldn’t speak about.

I guess there could be something there. Isn’t it possible that the Mayan calendar ends not because they foresaw the end of the world but because it was the end of the bad times. Obviously it’s easy for anyone to jump on the bandwagon and spin yarns about the end of days because bad news sells. In the movie 2012 we see the world forever changed. There are countless books and documentaries that warn of an apocalyptic event. It’s scary, exciting and captivating.

The sceptic in me thinks: “Meh, yeah right, an ancient civilisation really had that sort of power? Not likely. Their calendar probably stopped due to famine or natural disaster, no great mystery there.”

Even so, I like the idea of the world-changing on December 21st 2012 but not in a bad way. Perhaps it means a shift toward a more positive perspective. Considering how war and destruction loves to ravage the world it seems unlikely that something BIG can suddenly change it all, but hey, you never know! And maybe even a shared vision of a twist toward peace and positivity is enough to cause ripples that lead to a profound change in the future.

Pure Inspiration.

This post is dedicated to my sister, Leigh, and her website, Pure Inspiration. Once again I invite you, dear blog reader, to go take a look. It’s early days for her site and I expect it will grow as more people find it. If you have an inspirational story to tell then share it and let that light into someone else’s life.

I hope you’ll find enlightenment there and take something positive from it.

And maybe when someone spots you as they walk down the street they’ll see how brightly you shine.