They

So, once more I am wide awake late into the night, sleep eludes me again, so why can't they do something about it? The rest of the house are sleeping soundly, if not quietly, but at least the sound of snoring assures me all is well.

They! That is a very big word in today’s modern world, They, so who are they?
Speak to anyone in the street, in the home, in the office or even in a shop and sooner or later the word `They’ with pop up in conversation. Maybe it’s more of a British thing rather than world wide, maybe it’s just we English who insist on blaming someone else, the elusive `they’. So who are `they’? Are they the same as `Somebody’ or `The Council’ or The Government’? Why do we frequently refer to those in charge or those in authority as `they’?

If a person were to trip over a raised paving slab in the street, I guarantee either that person or another will ask, “Why don’t `they’ do something about that”? Or “It’s about time `they’ fixed that. If a favourite landmark was to be demolished a voice would ring out loudly, “Why are `they’ allowing that? When our taxes increase, a multitude of tongues will state “They should not be allowed to do that” or “What are `they’ doing with our money?”

When people talk about authority, the word chosen as a label is `they’, for instance if a young man cannot find a job someone will say “They should help”, when a drain breaks in the road, in will be “They should fix that”. Other statements are also frequently uttered like, “How can `they’ do that? “They should not be allowed to get away with that”, “They didn’t say”, “They don’t know” when talking about the medical profession. Rather than simply name the authority or council or government or world leader or even just the family next door, people always seem to revert to the word `they’.

So why do we use the word `they’ so frequently? Are we just lazy and cannot be bothered to give full title? Maybe it’s often the fact that we just don’t know who `they’ are in certain circumstances, perhaps it has become enjoined into our way of life, our verbal antennary, our method of communication, our lack of deep thought, that we no longer see any problem with `they’? Although in our modern country all persons are acclaimed to have a basic education, a reasonable conception of the English language and certainly a wide range of assorted communication aids, this is sadly not the case.

Funny old day

Well it’s been a funny old day, not being able to catch myself coming or going! Way too many little jobs to do that outweigh those even bigger chores that are lying in wait for when I least expect them.

When my life is too busy to be realistic, my mind wanders into the realms of `What if?’ What if there is no afterlife? What if I have chosen the wrong religion? What if there is no meaning to life. Is life just a random set of occurrences?
My whirling brain spreads its wings into other areas of confusion as I delve into the deepest pits of my subconscious and being examining my place on this ball of dirt, my footprint in the sand. A famous person who I cannot recall once stated that we live on until the last person to remember us dies, and then we are dust, in physical state and memory.

Yes I know this is a really depressing blog, I did not intend it to be such as I am only recounting some of my muddled minds journey. All of us suffer random and irrational thoughts during those quiet moments or those extremely busy periods of our day. Apart from the question of existence, other huge topics clamber for space in our melting pot of thoughts, but that’s for another day.

Today mine have been depressing, but I’m not depressed, today my thoughts have centred on religion, but I already have my own conclusions on that subject. Today I have wondered about the afterlife but that is a question without answer for those who live, and I’m in no hurry to discover the answers!
So live long, live healthy but never forget there is only one certainty in life . . .

Publication or bin?

Publish or bin it?

Well I’m almost there; I only have a couple of thousand words to write before finishing my first book. The stories are there in draft so it’s no great deal to simply write them up and include them into the whole document. Then it’s the chore of putting all in the correct sequence and position, re-reading and editing constantly, arranging a proof read and finalising the title, then I can set about locating a publisher. Phew!

But is the hard work done? Is writing the thing in the first instance the hardest task? No! Securing a publisher or literary agent to take on my book will be by far the most arduous task I face! Unfortunately I am not a 14 year old pop star or famous footballer promoting my miniscule autobiography, so I have little chance of being published.
Publishers and literary agents are often overwhelmed with hoards of enthusiastic would be authors lobbying for their own pieces of work to be placed on the worlds stage, or bookshelf! So actually getting one to agree to read a new book is nigh on impossible. One typo, one grammatical error or mispronunciation is all that is required for a publisher to consign a year of work to the waste bin. The market for unpublished authors is rampant, publication and a possible literary career is purely at the whim of publishers.
Nor do I believe in self publishing, one still needs an impartial mind with a commercial interest to honestly determine if the entire book is crap! I am not arrogant enough to assume I’ve written a best seller on my first attempt, but having read some of the rubbish that has successfully been published, I would consider I have a good chance!

For those slightly interested, my book contains multiple short and humorous (hopefully) stories relating to the UK medical profession. I won’t say more as I feel it may be premature and hinder my already impossible task of seeking publication. I have covered an theme that has been mostly unconsidered, though I do remember a TV show written along the same lines many years ago. So I’m hoping this different angle may win me some brownie points in the world of literature. However I am still watching the skies for the fabled flying pig!

What other choice do I have? Well I believe there is now Epublishing, though I have scant knowledge of this avenue. I would have to examine Epublishing further and seek guidance from those who know before deciding on this route, so it may be a possibility yet.
Or there is self publishing. Self publishing is great if one does not wish to command a cash return for ones efforts. Personally I want to be paid! Plus the distribution of self publicised work depends solely on . . . oneself! And I cannot be bothered with that!
So if I fail to get the services of a publisher or agent, then my book will find its place onto my bookshelf and there remain for eternity, unread, unpublished and unloved. I will strive for literary completion, for my own self esteem if nothing else, but as to whether I will gain publication, I wouldn’t bet on it!

To blog or not to blog?

I'm trying to decide whether begin writing blogs , or not.  What does a blog achieve?  Who reads them? Why do people read blogs?  The famous and infamous I understand but the average Joe like me, what is there to read?

I think I'll consider my own questions before continuing.