I’ve not written a blog entry in years. Literally. I was checking, and I think the last date was something like 2020. It’s now nearly 2023, and I had something of an urge to write something.
The question is, why?
The answer is that I’ve really got no idea, but this seems to be a better option than blathering away on Tiktok.
Probably the best thing about doing it this way is that I can think for a few seconds before I “say” something and rewrite before I post it if it doesn’t make sense.
What’s been going on in the past couple of years? Well, I’ve been through several teaching jobs at various colleges, and since I quite enjoyed the one I had last year, I actually applied for a permanent one at the place I was working. Now I’m working there as a lecturer in Applied Science…
…and I’m actually quite enjoying it (as much as a job that requires actual work can be “enjoyable”, anyway). The vast majority of the students are great (which is something I’ve maintained throughout my entire teaching career – the vast majority are fantastic, with some being true superstars, but there are always a few “bad apples”) and the staff have made me feel like I belong there. That’s a big thing. Don’t know whether it’s the depression or the anxiety, but I’ve always felt like a bit of an outsider wherever I am, and if I’m honest, it’s something I don’t mind. I like to keep a little distance. Probably as a mental defence mechanism. Harder to get hurt if you don’t fully go in.
Life is indeed like a mosh pit.
I was going to do a show back in October. I’d even drawn up a playlist, but then a family bereavement (my mother-in-law died suddenly) got in the way. That hit me pretty badly, and obviously disrupted my show plans. I’ve not really listened to anything for a while, either. So just as I was starting to get some interest in music back, I got hit with an emotional sledgehammer which destroyed the progress I think I was making.
So here we are at the end of December and the end of 2022 and things seem to be improving at the moment. I’ve just picked up the new/current albums by Warkings (a rather silly German Power Metal outfit), Infected Rain and The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, and fully intend to play some bits and pieces from them for you at some time in the not too distant future.
All things being equal, that means a couple of shows being recorded and released over the next few days. So long as I also get the assignment marking done that needs to be completed.