I'm starting a blog!

Well, who'd have thought? After many years telling all that would listen (and some that didn't want to listen) that I wanted to be a writer, I finally get started stringing words together.

Those that know me have probably had my poetry inflicted upon them at some point and may even have read a word or two of my stories. This isn't them. At least, not yet. New stuff like that may appear here, but for now this is a portal to allow me to write. Just write. There are many websites out there, books, perhaps even accumulated collections of leftover smoke signals, that state that if you want to write, the first thing you must do is write. So here we are.

I've thought about starting a blog many times, but the one thing that stopped me was the lack of a theme. How could I write if I didn't have something to write about? This isn't a story, or a novel, which start with a premise and flow from there. This isn't a poem - that's a snapshot of a moment, a capture of thoughts and emotions based on a specific event or feeling. This is a blog, a (hopefully) continual stream of writing to get my creative juices flowing and encourage me to write my stories, novel and poems. So, a theme. I don't know anything better than I know the inside of my own head, so what better place to start? 

I want to offer a blog of everything and nothing. A weekly expulsion of words to capture my thoughts. It's not a diary, more of a random collection of things that I have considered. It may be an essay on something that interests me, or a comment on the news of the week, or even a rant about those damn small cases on wheels and their owners. The intention is to inform, delight, horrify, entertain or flat-out bewilder those that read it.

Bear with me in the first weeks, there will likely be various tweaks to the site as I decide how I want things, but please feel free to comment on anything I write. Feedback, your views on the subject, all is welcome. I want to encourage discussion, debate and lots of surreal musings. Nothing is too weird (but let's try to keep it clean(ish) and polite). I intend to introduce an 'Ask jmevee' feature at some point too, for you to ask a question on any subject and see what I come up with. I can't guarantee my answers will be lucid...

Without further ado, welcome to my brain!


Oh, and in case you were wondering, jmevee = j-me-vee = Jamie V.  Simples.

Letter to my younger self, 23/03/2014

I recently wrote this as an exercise to get my brain working, to prompt me to think about where I might go in the next twenty years. Amazing how looking at the past can help you think on the future.

Reading it back now, there are some things I would add, other things I'd change, but I wrote it in one sitting and that would feel like cheating, so here it is, warts, verrucas and all.


Jamie,

Bit weird this, but bear with me. I'm you. Specifically, you from twenty years in your future. Don't ask how I've managed this, I can't tell you, but trust that it's the case.

You're at college now, 18 years old and wondering what the hell to do with your life - I remember, I was there. I'm writing this to give you a few pointers, a little advice, and to tell you that the world really is as strange as you suspect it might be. I'm not going to tell you what to do, that's up to you, but if I can give you some of the benefit of two decades of life experience then that's a good thing, right?

I know you think you've got a good thing going right now, living with your girlfriend and your best mate, not much in the way of responsibilities and you're riding on the knowledge that you were top of your school, but don't be cocky. You don't get anything in this world for free, so you have to apply yourself. Nobody knows what you are capable of but you, so you have to show them, they're not going to magically know it. That being said, you don't have to show them you're clever in things you don't give a damn about. This is important: work out what you love to do, what really gets your brain juices flowing, and do it. Take courses, read about it, speak to people, debate. If you let life slide by it'll do just that and in years time you'll wonder how the hell you ended up where you are. It's much easier to divert the flow of a river near the source than to hold back the flood further downstream (cheesy metaphor, but you know what I mean - you must do, you're me).

I know that you're not sure about university, what you'd study, and whether it's the right thing for your relationship. I chose the relationship, didn't get a degree, and it has held me back at every stage of my career so far. You and I know that you're one smart cookie, but as I said before others don't - it's amazing the worth of that little bit of paper, so while you can do it, do it. Choose you. If the relationship is right it'll survive. If it doesn't you won't be lonely - you're not too ugly and the way you can play with words will always give you an arrow in your quiver that others don't have. The female of the species adores romance and trust me, my boy, you've got that in spades.

That brings me on to another point. Write. You're good at it, you love it and you always will. There is so much in there that needs to be shared with the world. Doesn't matter what it is, but don't be ashamed of your ability with poetry, it's surprising the amount of respect it gets. Don't let it become something you used to do. I forgot about it for a long time, but I've found it again and the satisfaction it gives to stir emotion in others with a few simple words cannot be described (wordsmith cannot describe something, way to sell that one!)

As to the strangeness of the world, where am I now? I work in **REDACTED** (look it up - not on the radar now, but it will be) at **REDACTED**. Yep, I work for **REDACTED**. I'm not **REDACTED**, just staff, but I've been here for almost 12 years now. How's that for strange? I'm ready to move on now, find something a bit more challenging, but remember that bit of paper? I don't have that. 

Personal life, I'm not going to go into details, and I'm not going to complain as I'm happy right now, but there have been some dark times. Those are the times when you find out who your true friends are, and it's not always who you think.

My choices have led me to where I am now and I'm on an up-curve so I won't second-guess them. For me the only way is forward, to wherever that takes me. For you there is much to come, but what you do now will be with you for the rest of your life, so really think about it. It seems unfair as all you want to do is be with your mates and your girl and not think about all that shit, but that's life, and life doesn't care. Follow your passions, stand up and be counted, and above all, be you. Be the you that you want to be, not who other people want you to be. You get one life, so live it.

How will this letter affect me, the you of the future? Maybe it won't affect me at all, perhaps creating an alternate timeline. Maybe I'll cease to exist. Think on this, it's one of the many things that fascinates you.

Good luck.

Jamie

p.s. don't bother seeing Daredevil with Ben Affleck when it comes out, you'll never get that time back.

p.p.s. The winning Euromillions Lottery numbers for October 12th 2010 are...4, 9 

**-timewarp halted, causality breach. report user-**