Saturday 27 July 2013

Adventures in...Indecision

Shout out to fellow STARTer Jess who let me guest post for thistrainisboundforglory. A wonderful collection of posts chronicling 'Adventures in...' everything from health to hope, and indecision to Iraq. 
Adventures in...Indecision 
A wise man once wrote that an undecided mind is like a storm tossed sea – going one way and then the other, never settled. #James1v8
I’m always undecided about something – move here, move there, move back or stay where you are. Apply for this job, apply for that job or don’t change job at all. Go for a drink, have one more drink or diet coke please. Pizza or Pasta. Star Wars or Star Trek.  Beyonce or Bieber. Marmite or Nutella...
To read the rest of this post click here (even if you don't read my post you should check out the rest of the blog. You won't regret it).

Monday 22 July 2013

Want to know the Truth about the Royal Baby?

I don’t really get all the fascination with the royal baby – I didn't even know it was due any time soon. People have been queuing for hours to be the first to offer Kate some flowers. Some have even camped outside the hospital for up to two weeks (seriously though - they had nothing better to do all summer in two of the hottest weeks of the year?) All for the birth of a stranger. A stranger that they may never meet. Albeit one that has been born into one of the world's craziest circuses.

I think the Royal family are good for tourism – and that’s about it. 

I used to trust them to portray a national image of dignity and poise – Queenie’s been good at keeping that up, but let’s face it Harry’s doing a pretty good job at balancing out all of Kate’s appropriate fashion choices.

The truth is that this royal baby is just as important as you, or me, or all the other children born today.

The truth is that this royal baby is just as valuable as you, or me, or a nameless child born in of a Kolkata brothel.

The truth is that this royal baby has just as much a right to a stable life as you, or me, or a child born in a Syrian refugee camp.

The truth is that worth is not found in titles, or privilege, or ancestry.


The truth is that this royal baby is dearly loved by our Heavenly Father, just as much as you, or me, or one of your work colleagues.



P.S. You gotta love twitter...


Thursday 18 July 2013

How to Survive a Quarter Century Crisis?

Despite being told last weekend that I looked 17 I am, in fact, fast approaching my mid-twenties (#notsurehowtodealwiththis). Any of you fortunate enough to have met High Queen Rachel of Melodrama may remember the not-quite-Quarter-Century-Crisis (read this if you missed out). Well, now that I am more or less recovered I am sufficiently qualified to offer some diamonds of wisdom on how to survive a Quarter Century Crisis (real or imagined)...

It's simple really - Find a friend.

Seriously. Find a friend who gets it. Find a friend to help you plug the leak of your dreams, bail out the sinking boat of your Quarter Century Crisis, fix the oars of your hope and row to the shore of Life As A Grown Up. #cheesybuttrue

Find a friend who not only understands what you’re trying to figure out, but can help you get to wherever it is you want to go – even if you don’t know where that is most of the time.

Not a friend to patronisingly pat your hand, offer you a side tilt look of sympathy and then change the subject to something less..awkward. Not a friend with whom you can become unhealthily dependant – i.e. calling each other to discuss what to have for lunch/what socks to wear because you can no longer face any decision alone is not ok (if this is you, then you need to find another friend to get you some help, and soon).

To survive your Quarter Century Crisis you need to find a friend with whom you can be honest. Find a friend who will help you set goals and ask you why if you haven’t met them. Find a friend to help you keep your sense of humour. Find a friend who will lovingly (and that’s o so very important) tell you what you already knew but where too scared to admit. Find a friend who will bring round the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice when what you thought was the right track turns out to be a costly dead end. Find a friend who will bring round the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice when zip-a-dee-doo-dah there’s plenty of sunshine heading your way and a Bluebird singing on your shoulder.

Find a friend like this – and not only will you survive your Quarter Century Crisis, but you’ll have a BFF to boot! #winwin



And everyone knows sharing is caring, so if your friend hasn’t hit their own Quarter Century Crisis then maybe helping you out will induce their own (thereby helping them avoid the ridiculously trendy haircut/sky diving/expensive sports car/excessive plastic surgery of the Mid Life Crisis.) So don’t forget to be there for them too. Bring the Nutella/beer/comfort food of choice. Support them in their laments and champion their celebrations.

Find a friend, survive your Quarter Century Crisis. Simple.


Any way-more-sparkly-than-pearls diamonds of wisdom on Quarter Century Crises you care to share?