And so 2013 is coming to an end
For some, it drove you round the bend.
For others it brought happiness and love
I'm just yet to find that very same dove...
It started off with The Harlem Shake,
There were 4,000 versions for God damn sake...
But faith was restored when the Pope resigned,
Only to be replaced by one just as blind...
The death of Thatcher was celebrated by millions,
apparently she caused misery for her civilians,
But how can one celebrate death,
When Libya and Syria are breathing their last breath...?
There was tragedy in both Boston and London,
Surrounded by bloodshed, terror had begun.
But one brave woman stood out from the crowd,
Ingrid Kennett, in Woolwich, she should be proud.
On a personal level, I can't complain
Its been fun, alarming and quite frankly insane.
Australia was crap, but I won an award,
Just for the opposition that I had outscored.
I've moved out, my parents are happy
To say goodbye to their drunken little chappy,
But living with Abi is pretty damn awesome,
Even if Aussies claim I'm a very bad possum...
The world said farewell to the legend Madiba,
He most certainly had that "joie de vivre"
But life goes on, on the planet he left,
Just a shame the kindness is becoming bereft...
And so to Tom Daley, that brave young man.
Coming out to the world, and to his Gran.
An amazing reminder that it's not what you are,
But what you do, that makes you a star.
Looking ahead to 2014,
Who knows what can be foreseen...
But whatever you do, and wherever you go,
Just remember, to be happy and glow.
Monday 30 December 2013
Saturday 28 December 2013
All Moved Out
Yeah, sorry about that. Bit quiet in this neck of the woods recently, but there is a perfectly good reason for that. I've moved out! And yes.... Internet has just been gained. BT. Thanks for asking.
We've moved to a swanky new flat near town, and this place has already been christened by an outrageous housewarming party and so far, we've had an absolute whale of a time! I reckon we're still in the honeymoon period, and that matched with Christmas equals party time.
Once more, we'll keep it short and sweet. You don't want to hear about how I've been doing the washing up and the purchase of a new TV!
Keep cool.
We've moved to a swanky new flat near town, and this place has already been christened by an outrageous housewarming party and so far, we've had an absolute whale of a time! I reckon we're still in the honeymoon period, and that matched with Christmas equals party time.
Once more, we'll keep it short and sweet. You don't want to hear about how I've been doing the washing up and the purchase of a new TV!
Keep cool.
Saturday 7 December 2013
Fast
These weeks are motoring round extremely quickly. Its 18 days until Christmas, but probably more importantly, its 8 days until I move out. How I haven't mentioned it on here I don't know, for it is a major life event, but that merely goes to show how quickly this has sprung up on us. Me and my bezzie, Abigail, are moving into a snazzy flat near town. I'm really looking forward to it, but pretty relaxed about it all aswell. Times a'changing...
Other topics up for discussion are The Ashes, which I shall avoid altogether, because England have forgotten how to bat and that infuriating mo'd Mitchell Johnson is ridiculously good. Other than that, its countless cards, parcels and airmail stickers at work and a flagrant disregard for the financial restraints of going out, although a Saturday night on the tiles look increasingly unlikely. I'm not sure I can be bothered, and yes, you did read that right. Chances are though, someone will ask me and I'll be unable to say no. Usual.
Other topics up for discussion are The Ashes, which I shall avoid altogether, because England have forgotten how to bat and that infuriating mo'd Mitchell Johnson is ridiculously good. Other than that, its countless cards, parcels and airmail stickers at work and a flagrant disregard for the financial restraints of going out, although a Saturday night on the tiles look increasingly unlikely. I'm not sure I can be bothered, and yes, you did read that right. Chances are though, someone will ask me and I'll be unable to say no. Usual.
Monday 2 December 2013
Why It's Still Important
Inevitably, this post is all about Tom Daley. This morning, he released a video. "Of course I still fancy girls, but right now I'm dating a guy and I couldn't be happier". It was a wonderful, honest video to wake up to on a particularly bleak looking Monday morning, for more reasons than one, and I am very happy he had the confidence and bravery to do so.
I cannot imagine what being Tom Daley must be like. For years, he has had to listen to people taunt his mannerisms, crack jokes about how "gay" he acts, and question his sexuality when he may well have spent some of his thoughts trying to decipher it for himself. For someone who spent years working it out, I can appreciate how difficult it is, but I didn't have millions of people questioning me about it. I'm not sure I would have coped. Yet this young man has. That seriously has to be commended.
And yet, as we get ever closer to the end of 2013, there are still people out there who choose to be evil about it. Yes. Evil. A strong word, but appropriate as its the opposite of love, and that's all this hoo-ha is about. Love.
...
"You just lost a fan. Go to hell!!! Faggot! @TomDaley1994"
"I can't believe Tom Daley is gay, I'm not a fan of his anymore! It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!"
"Told you all Tom Daley was a dirty fag!"
"Tom Daley is gay and I'm now ashamed of our country, we can't have a bloody fag representing us"
...
This hate is why this is news.
Even Mr. Daley said it himself, "This shouldn't matter". But it does. Oh, it really does. I try not to get too embroiled in it, trying to claim that another celebrity coming out isn't big news, because at the end of the day, we're all equal. But then I remember the pure confusion when I was 15 and then the ever-growing and absolute anguish I felt when I was 16 and growing into adulthood. The fear of facing insults and losing everyone simply because of who I am. Because it does happen. In this world of ours, people are disowned, physically attacked and murdered just because they aren't heterosexual. It's a fact. It isn't a problem consigned to the 1970s or other countries. This happens in the UK. In 2013. Everyone knew who Tom Daley was before today. He was the poster boy of London 2012, the first Olympic Games to be held in the UK in 64 years, and a hugely successful one at that. He is very popular, and rightly so, which makes the unfounded and sometimes outrageous abuse he has received from some stand out even more. No one disliked the guy. And now all of a sudden, some do? There's only one reason for that... Before today, Daley was a straight man. And now he's seen as bisexual. People are scared of that, when they have no reason to be.
I read an article earlier by Owen Jones of the Independent who put it just perfectly. "Its news because a millennia of bigotry cannot simply be eradicated in a few decades".
I've tried to stifle the happiness I feel for the guy all day. I've tried to think as if this didn't really matter. I'm like everyone else, and so is he. But I know there are people out there this evening, who have seen his video today and instantly feel more comfortable because of it. I cannot tell you how much that has, and needs, to be appreciated.
I'm more than likely never going to meet him, but if I could, I would shake his hand and say, "You bloody legend."
I cannot imagine what being Tom Daley must be like. For years, he has had to listen to people taunt his mannerisms, crack jokes about how "gay" he acts, and question his sexuality when he may well have spent some of his thoughts trying to decipher it for himself. For someone who spent years working it out, I can appreciate how difficult it is, but I didn't have millions of people questioning me about it. I'm not sure I would have coped. Yet this young man has. That seriously has to be commended.
And yet, as we get ever closer to the end of 2013, there are still people out there who choose to be evil about it. Yes. Evil. A strong word, but appropriate as its the opposite of love, and that's all this hoo-ha is about. Love.
...
"You just lost a fan. Go to hell!!! Faggot! @TomDaley1994"
"I can't believe Tom Daley is gay, I'm not a fan of his anymore! It's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve!"
"Told you all Tom Daley was a dirty fag!"
"Tom Daley is gay and I'm now ashamed of our country, we can't have a bloody fag representing us"
...
This hate is why this is news.
Even Mr. Daley said it himself, "This shouldn't matter". But it does. Oh, it really does. I try not to get too embroiled in it, trying to claim that another celebrity coming out isn't big news, because at the end of the day, we're all equal. But then I remember the pure confusion when I was 15 and then the ever-growing and absolute anguish I felt when I was 16 and growing into adulthood. The fear of facing insults and losing everyone simply because of who I am. Because it does happen. In this world of ours, people are disowned, physically attacked and murdered just because they aren't heterosexual. It's a fact. It isn't a problem consigned to the 1970s or other countries. This happens in the UK. In 2013. Everyone knew who Tom Daley was before today. He was the poster boy of London 2012, the first Olympic Games to be held in the UK in 64 years, and a hugely successful one at that. He is very popular, and rightly so, which makes the unfounded and sometimes outrageous abuse he has received from some stand out even more. No one disliked the guy. And now all of a sudden, some do? There's only one reason for that... Before today, Daley was a straight man. And now he's seen as bisexual. People are scared of that, when they have no reason to be.
I read an article earlier by Owen Jones of the Independent who put it just perfectly. "Its news because a millennia of bigotry cannot simply be eradicated in a few decades".
I've tried to stifle the happiness I feel for the guy all day. I've tried to think as if this didn't really matter. I'm like everyone else, and so is he. But I know there are people out there this evening, who have seen his video today and instantly feel more comfortable because of it. I cannot tell you how much that has, and needs, to be appreciated.
I'm more than likely never going to meet him, but if I could, I would shake his hand and say, "You bloody legend."
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