What I Don't Understand About... Drinking!

Yay!!! Welcome back to this series about things I don't understand. Today we're going to cover drinking as in drinking of alcoholic drinks, not as in the act of drinking because that is a necessity for life.

Now, I am an 18 year old teenager and I don't drink alcohol at all, ever.  I don't like the taste.  People question me on this but I don't like the taste of mushrooms or coconut and don't eat them yet people don't question me on that. So why is there this obsession with alcohol?

One argument posed is that you can't have fun without alcohol. I beg to differ. You can have plenty of fun with a Sprite and a pack of cards. The alcohol is not necessary.  I think many people feel that they can drink their problems away with alcohol but you don't really drink them away, more delay them.  You can do the same with a game of dominoes and that is much more healthy for you.

I'm not anti-alcohol. I just don't like the stuff and have seen what it can potentially do to people.  I don't like it when people joke about this fact about me because, if you want to joke about this little dislike of mine, then you should also joke about my other dislikes. My dislike towards cake (but not all cake), towards clothes and towards most TV programs.  The fact that I don't drink is my own choice and you can't force me to drink for your own entertainment, or else I'll put you in a room full of spiders, get you to eat moldy cheese or make you endure the whole Twilight movie saga.

Alcohol makes me feel ill, even just the smell of it.  I don't understand how people at college can go out each night or every other night and drink.  It doesn't look attractive.  It doesn't smell attractive either and a lot of the stories that I have heard from people I know at college does not make the whole experience sound very appealing. Thank you, but no thanks.

This is a personal choice and I'm not ever going to tell someone to give up on alcohol. I just don't see the logic behind their reasons and I believe that it isn't the be all and end all of having fun and socialising. It's just as easy to socialise over a cup of tea.

As always, you can comment your view on this matter or a view on another topic that you don't understand about.

Stay Strong
Michael

Here's An Idea!!!

What makes an idea good?  I'm sure we've all had ideas but rejected them for various reasons.  As human beings, we are constantly thinking up new things.  Some of us think about things that will effect the whole world, things that might improve the world economy. Others think about ways to beat the newest 'boss' on their video game or think up things that may make their friends happy.

My view is that all ideas have the potential to be good, if given the right encouragement.  You can't reject an idea if you haven't tried it out and seen whether it works or whether it fails.  If it works then brilliant! If it fails then you can work out why it has failed and improve upon it.

I came across a fantastic message today from and unlikely source: Cheryl Cole's twitter page.  The face of this message may look like a stupid celebrity remark, but it actually is so true and... beautiful.

"I've learned so much from my mistakes. I'm thinking of making some more."

We learn from our mistakes so, let's embrace them and learn from them. You might just change for good.  That idea, the one you are thinking about now, is amazing. Trust me. Now, go out and work to make that idea a reality. You'll never know where you'll end up because of it.

Stay Strong
Michael
 

What Does The Future Hold?

The future is a scary yet exciting thing.  I find myself at a point where I need to face the future rather than try to put it off.  There are so many decisions that I need to make and it all scares me. I feel pushed and pulled in different directions and I'm not sure what I should be doing.

Thing is, the future will look after itself and the best way to prepare yourself for the future is to surround yourself with great people who love you and will support you no matter what you decide to eventually do with your life.  These people should be people that you feel you can openly talk to yet they will be honest with you.  I know that I am young so it's better to hear that your friends don't think you are suitable for a certain job now rather than when I'm 50-odd. 

To make the future less scary, you should talk about it. Talk about your fears, dreams and ambitions.  I am so thankful that I will be meeting up with my best friend in the near future so that I can talk about all these things.  I know what I want to say, but I will go into this light hearted chat with an open mind and willing to listen to what they are going to say to me.  I shan't go in thinking that I only have one option or my life is worthless because that's a lie and an unhealthy thing to think.  I'm sure many people my age have no idea what they are going to end up doing, so I know that I am not alone in this.

Decisions are hard to make. I try and put them off because that delays the future, right? Wrong. The tip is to be honest with yourself and be open. Don't bottle up an idea because you think it's too ambitious or you aren't willing to put the work in to achieving that goal because, if that is the case, then maybe that idea isn't for you.

The future is scary but I'm in it for the long run.  Tomorrow's the start of a new beginning.

Stay Strong
Michael

Am I Well?

People ask me if I am well quite a lot at the moment and, to be honest, I have no idea. There are different ways you can measure how well you are and I just don't if I cover those ways well enough.

Adverb

In a good or satisfactory way: "the whole team played well".

I try to do things well. I try my best even though I know that my best isn't always what people want from me, they want more.  At times I do feel like I am not good enough, or that I'm "second-best", that, no matter how much I try, I will never be enough.  I take pride in what I do and create.  There isn't a thing that I do that I don't put my heart into.  I love the feeling after I have written a new song, recorded it and then listened back.  I think I do well at being a friend. I try and make myself available if they need any support or advice with the only desire that they do that in return.

Adjective

In good health; free or recovered from illness.

I think that I am not ill. Yes, I do get the odd problem but nothing major.  I do suffer from headaches a lot and some of that is stress related or related to me over-working myself, which I often do to keep myself occupied or else I think about things that hurt me.  I am relatively healthy. Sure, there are people healthier than I but I have no concern over my physical health. I couldn't run a marathon tomorrow but, then again, I don't want or need to.

Exclamation

Used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger, resignation, or relief: "Well, really! The manners of some people!"

I need to do this more. I don't express myself because I bottle things up. Partly to protect others. I don't want to hurt people.  I try to deal with things in my head.  This doesn't fully work but I get by.  There are people that I can talk to and I know that, but some things are best kept to myself.  I try to keep myself busy to stop myself thinking by setting myself projects. I have quite a few on at the go currently; exam revision, a musical, a music-based mass setting, a young person's concert.  These all keep my mind focused in an attempt to stop me from thinking... I still think though.

Noun

A shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water, oil, or gas

Umm... I can't even make a joke about this so, let's move on...

Verb

(of a liquid) Rise up to the surface and spill or be about to spill: "tears were beginning to well in her eyes"

They rise and fall and I can't do anything about it. I won't cry in front of people because I'm too proud to do that, but I cry nonetheless.  I have never felt like this before.  Things don't make sense. People get annoyed at me when they ask me how I feel and I just reply "I don't know", but I genuinely don't know. I'm so confused and lost and hurt and broken... and not good enough for anything or anyone.

Am I well?

Stay Strong
Michael

A Watched Clock Doesn't Tick

It's a stupid phrase because the clock does still tick. I can hear it and see the second hand moving, but the meaning behind it is what is important and what makes sense.

The way I can best describe it is if you're looking out of the window to spot your best friend coming around.  Let's say they were supposed to turn up at 11am so you start watching from 10:57am, just in case they are early.  Those 3 minutes take forever don't they? The time goes faster if you go and do something else, even sit down and put your head in a book or brain teaser puzzle.

Success is a similar thing.  I have my own YouTube channel and, when I started out, I thought the view count would sky rocket and I would sit and watch as the count went up very slowly.  I now go back to earlier videos and see how high the view count is.  It's higher than I expected and all because I'm not sitting there and comparing myself to my expectations.

I get this with concert attendances. I try not to see the audience as they come in any more because I disappoint myself. I much prefer the shock of walking out in front of the audience right at the beginning of the show and only then realising how many people are there.

So stop measuring yourself and just do things. You'll see the benefits later.  Just do what you enjoy and the numbers will sort themselves out. Stop watching the clock. Oh... and on the waiting for your friend front, they will turn up so stop worrying. Standing by the window won't make them turn up any faster.

Stay Strong
Michael

I'm Not An Expert

I'm sitting here watching the Snooker World Championships and, like with most other sports that I watch, I'm making comments. I'm saying things like "Oooh... I wouldn't have played that shot" and "I would have played that a bit better".  I seem to think that I'm some sort of snooker guru. Sure, I've played some snooker in the past but I wouldn't say that I'm anywhere near as great as these guys.  These snooker players earn their living my playing snooker. They must know more than me because this is their life.

The same can be said for other things in life.  We shouldn't comment if we don't know the facts, if we aren't in that situation ourselves. We all make mistakes and little judgement errors. I make mistakes and little judgement errors, but it's how we bounce back from those errors that defines who we are and how we well we can achieve.  Right now I've just seen Judd Trump play a poor shot but recover by playing the most amazing pot ever! No one is talking about the error, they are praising the pot.

Part of us doesn't want other people to know that we don't know anything about something. We feel we need to have an opinion, but we really don't. Yes, we make mistakes and have our faults and I know my failings. I don't need someone else to tell me what they are. What I do need is help to understand what to do to recover. These snooker players have had coaching to teach them what to do in different situations and they have practiced. Okay, you can't practice at life as you have one shot at it but the people around you should guide you through, not judge you and tell you your faults or where you have made a mistake.

Shaun Murphy has been playing awfully in this game and I've been laughing at him and shouting abuse at him. He's just scored a century. Do you think he cares about what I was shouting at him? No, because he knows what he's doing. There's a reason why he's playing in the world championships and I'm not, much like there's a reason why I'm not playing Broadway or a numerous other things.

So, remember that when you open your mouth to hurl abuse at someone because they fall. They are in that position, doing what they do, for a reason, and you're not. You're not them so you can't comment.

Stay Strong
Michael