Who is left that / Writes these days?
I went to see Tom McRae live on Friday. It was one of the best gigs I've been to. He's really witty and likeable, he bantered with us a lot, and invited us to sing along. Which I did quite happily. The atmosphere was friendly, and I wasn't totally deafened by the end of the gig - Islington is a nice venue.
Christmas is being shoved forward like a box of smelling salts at the moment. I understand it, but I don't like this obsession with just one day. Our spiritually-starved culture grips this religious festival in its bony embrace, and squeezes the soul of it utterly. And no wonder. I don't think anyone who has experienced the feverish anticipation of Christmas Eve in childhood ever forgets it, and now we are living in such grey times, we need to feel warm, loved and distracted more than ever. The only problem is, it feels false and therefore non-magical. And there is so much more to the occasion if you still believe in the mystery of it, even if it's through the Nativity story. What can I say? I'm a pagan at heart.
Christmas is being shoved forward like a box of smelling salts at the moment. I understand it, but I don't like this obsession with just one day. Our spiritually-starved culture grips this religious festival in its bony embrace, and squeezes the soul of it utterly. And no wonder. I don't think anyone who has experienced the feverish anticipation of Christmas Eve in childhood ever forgets it, and now we are living in such grey times, we need to feel warm, loved and distracted more than ever. The only problem is, it feels false and therefore non-magical. And there is so much more to the occasion if you still believe in the mystery of it, even if it's through the Nativity story. What can I say? I'm a pagan at heart.