Freedom!

THIS BLOG IS ON HOLIDAYS. JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW.

AND AS LONG TIME READERS OF THIS SPACE WILL KNOW, DURING THE AUGUST BREAK THIS BLOG DOES NOT WATCH OR LISTEN TO NEWS PROGRAMMES OR READ NEWSPAPERS.

APART FROM A REGULAR TIE IN WITH THE OFFICE FOR EMERGENCIES I REFUSE TO DISCUSS POLITICAL MATTERS OR INDEED CURRENT AFFAIRS WITH ANYONE.

EVEN YOUR MAN.

HE IS ON HOLIDAYS AS WELL.

BY THE WAY HE DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN BREAKS AND HOLIDAYS AND BY THE WAY AGAIN HE IS NOT WITH ME ON HOLIDAYS. OR ON A BREAK EITHER FOR THAT MATTER.

IT IS VERY LIBERATING. HIS ABSENCE. I JEST. THE ABSENCE OF NEWS. OR AT LEAST ABSENCE OF THE COMPULSION TO WATCH OR LISTEN OR READ THE DAILY DOSES OF WHAT PASSES FOR NEWS THESES DAYS.

INCIDENTLY WHEN I SAY I DONT GET NEWSPAPERS THERE IS AN EXCEPTION TO THAT. I GET THE ANDYTOWN NEWS IF IT IS AVAILABLE AND ON A SATURDAY I GET THE IRISH TIMES. FOR THE SPORTS, THE REVIEW SECTION, BOOKS, THE MAGAZINE AND ALL THE REST OF IT.

AND I TRY TO SET ASIDE A GOOD SPACE ON A SATURDAY AND DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF DAY, FOR A COFFEE OR A GLASS OF VINO OR A PINT OF PLAIN AND I ENDULGE MYSELF. IT MAKES MY DAY. THE MAIN THING IS THE SPACE. AND THE TIME. TO READ EVERY THING WHICH IS OF INTEREST TO ME.

 

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE THE HYPER HOURLY CYLE OF REGURITATED SOUND BITES AND TABLOID SUPERFICIALITY.

 

IN THE OLDEN DAYS PEOPLE HAD TO WAIT FOR THEIR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THEIR WORLD AND THEN THEY WOULD TAKE TIME TO DIGEST IT AND CONSIDER IT UNTIL THEY GOT THE NEXT BIT OF SCEAL FROM WHOEVER HAPPENED TO BE PASSING BY.

 

NOWADAYS WE ARE BOMBARDED WITH NEWS AND WHILE THE WAYS OF THE INTERNET AND SOCIAL NETWORKING ARE HUGELY SIGNIFICENT AS A MEANS OF DEMOCRATISING ACCESS TO NEWS AND EMPOWERING CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE, IT IS STILL WILDLY REFRESHING FOR ME TO BE OUTSIDE ALL THAT EVEN FOR A FEW WEEKS.

 

I WAS NOW GOING TO SPECULATE ON ALL THE THINGS WHICH MAY BE HAPPENING OUT THERE IN A ‘SO FOR ALL I KNOW’ WAY.

FOR EXAMPLE FOR ALL I KNOW ENDA KENNY MAY HAVE WON BACK ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY EVEN IN HIS OWN IMAGINATION BUT EVEN THE THOUGHT OF ENGAGING IN SUCH MEANDERINGS IS TOO MUCH FOR ME. IT HURTS MY IMAGINATION. SO I WILL PASS.

 

WHAT DO I DO INSTEAD? I LISTEN TO MUSIC A LOT. A VERY BIG LOT INDEED. I SIT IN THE GARDEN. THATS WHERE I AM NOW. SNOWIE IS KEEPING GUARD. SO IS OUR RESIDENT ROBIN. HE HOPS CHEERFULLY ABOUT THE PLACE. I SLEEP. LIKE A LOG. I COOK. A LOT. AND EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE. I EXERCISE A LITTLE. THAT WILL COME LATER WHEN I HAVE EXHAUSTED MYSELF DOING NOTHING.

 

OH ....AND I READ. BOOKS. I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF THREE AT THE MINUTE.

 

THREE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TOMES. JOE O CONNOR – WHO I ADMIRE GREATLY – AND HIS ‘GHOST LIGHT’.

 

A BOOK ABOUT FATHER TOMMY MAHER AND HIS PART IN THE RENAISSANCE OF KILKENNY HURLING CALLED THE GODFATHER OF MODERN HURLING BY ENDA MCEVOY.

 

AND IVOR BROWNES TREMENDOUS ‘MUSIC AND MADNESS’ WHICH IS A REVEALING,HONEST AND COMPELLING STORY ABOUT HIMSELF AND THE RECENT HISTORY OF MENTAL HEALTH PROVISION AND MORE SIGNIFICENTLY THE AUTHORS ONGOING PERSONAL AND PSYCHIATRIC SEARCH FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF ‘THE HUMAN CONDITION’.

 

SO THERE YOU ARE.

 

I HAVE A LIST OF OTHER TITLES TO CATCH UP ON INCLUDING A BOOK ABOUT CHRISTY RING BY VAL DORGAN AND DONAL ÓG’S ‘COME WHAT MAY’ AND J.M COETZEE’S ‘DISGRACE’. AND A VIRTUAL LIBRARY OF POETRY AND THRILLERS TO BE ABSORBED. SO THERE IS A LOT TO DO.

 

AND FOR PURELY MEDICINAL PURPOSES I MAY EVEN TAKE A SMALL SUP. OR TWO.

 

A BIRD NEVER FLEW ON ONE WING.

 

AND THERE IS THE PROSPECT OF THE GALWAY-KILKENNY HURLING FINAL.

 

AND DONEGAL OUT AGAINST CORK THIS SUNDAY IN THE FOOTBALL. AND IM TRYING TO WRITE A BOOK OF SHORT STORIES. OR AT LEAST IM TRYING TO START THINKING ABOUT IT.

 

SO ALL IN ALL A BUSY TIME. THE THING IS IT IS MY OWN BUSY-NESS. DOING THE THINGS I WANT TO DO. OF COURSE I WON’T GET DOING MOST OF THEM. BUT WHO CARES? AT LEAST I HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT I WANT. AND THATS REAL FREEDOM.

 

EVEN IF IT IS ONLY FOR A WEE WHILE.