A Fly on the Wall, January 3, 2014

Wring out the Old : Ring in the NEW!

by Jim Murchison

@JimMurchison

So this is the time of year that we're supposed to reflect on what has gone and plan for what we need to do in the future. Now this is a process that to be an effective person you should engage in on a regular basis, but many of us do not. It is a lot easier to whine about your lot and bitch at the bastards that put you there or keep you trapped there. There is some therapeutic value to bitch sessions and I engage in them often, but this year I have actually done some advanced planning to try to participate more in the art I love. I want to write more. I want to act more, and who knows maybe I'll even direct.

I hope that one or two plans actually happen if I don't procrastinate too much, but even with effort and good intention you need luck and health. I get pissed off with sanctimonious pricks that have had little adversity in their lives that look at unfortunate people that are falling through the cracks and label them as losers. I have always found that these people have interesting and compelling stories. Life is so difficult sometimes that it is amazing that so many people survive it so long with the way the odds are stacked in favour of the house of the privileged. These are the stories I like reading and these are the stories I want to write.

I like surprises to a degree, but sometimes things happen that are unexpected and devastating. Still all in all I don't want a crystal ball or omniscience  If I were offered the ability to see everything and be everywhere I would like to think I would have the common sense to turn it down because being able to comprehend everything from your living room would surely have a monkey's paw flip side and living in such a den of ubiquity would surely make life dull very quickly.

So let's hope we have planned well, that we have more good surprises than bad and keep some friends close by to share a drink with (whether it be tea or something stronger) because every now and then it's fun to have a really good bitch session. Happy New Year everyone.