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Life is… Absolutely Fabulous

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Life is as good as you make it according to my amazing mother and mentor. It is of course absolutely fabulous to those of a positive nature but not so good for those that struggle with depression.

I had a very interesting chat with a psychology student yesterday who had completed her first year and discussed with me the effects that having a mental illness has. She used a great example of how when one has a broken leg everyone can see the problem and how a child may be given longer to get around the school premises. However, a student that may be suffering from anxiety and feeling intimidated in a busy school environment will not be afforded such concessions.

I also remember my daughter coming home from school with the famous ‘plant drawing’ showing visibly what we see above and what is hidden below the surface. Reminding us all and, simply so, that people may be suffering in silence.

Thankfully mental illness and depression have started to get more media coverage and awareness.

The best any of us can do is to ask how somebody is and bear in mind things may actually  not be ‘fine’. Generally we know our friends and family well albeit many people are good at hiding their feelings…if you think something may be troubling them offer the opportunity to talk and share.

If you could do with a giggle and a lift of spirits you could do a lot worse than see the new Ab Fab film..we all are guilty of taking life too seriously and as my mentor used to say:-.

‘A laugh is as good as a tonic’  (without the Gin)

There was a great line delivered by Jennifer Saunder’s character who referred to be ‘doing mindlessness’  Brilliant!

 

 

Talking about being bullied

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I have always been a great supporter of anti-bullying activities, indeed I was responsible for the funding and placement of a buddy bench at my local junior school.

As we all know when one is bullied it says more about the bullies than it does about you…easy to say not so easy to apply. Even the most popular students at school are the victim of bullying. There are great support charities to give advice including the Anti-bullying Alliance.

Very pleased to hear that Prince William is helping with awareness of this ever-growing problem to both children and adults alike especially via modern media.

Please read my article on tackling cyber bullying on Innovate My school’s website

http://www.innovatemyschool.com/ideas/how-schools-can-tackle-cyberbullying

Little book of kisses

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Today is international kissing day. Kissing is important and prompted me last year to write a book on the subject.

‘A Little Book of Kisses’ is currently being considered by publishers failing which I guess I will publish it in-house as a kindle book. Little taster follows…

‘Reasons to kiss

As humans we all use this act to confirm all sorts of emotions to friends and family, meeting and greeting, congratulating, maybe giving a magic kiss for a sore knee of a child perhaps. Planting a kiss as a sign of affection when somebody is upset and for no better reason than just because it feels right.

Burning off calories

Isn’t it great when one finds a partner that enjoys kissing as much as you do then it can not only be a pleasurable experience but a great way to burn off a few calories – now there’s a thought.

Depending on which facts you go for kissing can burn 2/3 or even 6.4 calories a minute according to what internet piece you read! Go for the lower figure and give yourself an incentive to kiss for longer.

Annie Manning© ‘

 

 

 

 

Haiku…mistaken identity

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I am ashamed to say I have little time for pleasure reading these days. I recently met a fellow writer who is a really talented Haiku poet. I remembered I had a gem on my bookshelf  ‘One hundred great books in haiku’ by David Bader.

David did a truly brilliant job of writing Haiku about some of the classics for those too lazy to read them…seriously very clever work. Well worth seeking this one out.

Zarr a talented musician and song writer contributed the following to one of my charity anthologies:-

A case of mistaken identity

A snake bit

an antelope’s tail

and fell in love.

Love is blind eh?

 

 

Another tall poppy

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Just seen that the lovely talented and great comedy writer Caroline Aherne has died.

So sad another great woman who brought so much laughter to our lives taken by cancer.

I will just say a phrase that resonates here; ‘The tallest poppies are picked first’.

Ain’t that the truth.

Our prayers of course are with her close family and friends.

memories and music

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Anybody that knows me soon realises how much I truly love my music. Music can transport us back to times in our lives full of fond memories and dreams. Today I have just re-watched one of my top five films ‘Meet Joe Black’ and of course the score to this film written by the amazing Thomas Newman who always brings such depth of emotions to any film.

‘A whisper of a thrill’ played through is sheer magic and reminds me of a very special man that came into my life. I was watching this film one day and he rang me…he teased me for ages after as I said I was thinking of him..but watching Brad Pitt.  He sometimes reads my blog and if by chance he is today (hello B). Yes, I do look forward not back but a much better mentor told me ‘memories live longer than dreams’ we made ours. Every girl should be loved like that at least once in a life time!

The closing music to those that know this film is of course a beautiful version of ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ same version was played at a recent funeral I attended. I am reminding myself of my good advice it is good to cry sometimes to release emotions.

Anyone that has lost their father will resonate with this great film. I always cry when Anthony Hopkins dances with his daughter…never had that opportunity to dance with my own father. My book currently with my publishers ‘Dancing in my dreams’ reflects how I have dreamed I have.

For those that still have their dads love them whilst you can, that’s the order of the day.

 

 

Rupert Brooke

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One cannot remember the centenary of the battle of the Somme without thinking about Rupert Brooke.

One of my most treasured possessions is a a beautiful book of his poems

‘1914 and other poems’ published in 1915 containing a beautiful picture of him laying between tissue paper. The pages are like thick card. Would save this is there was a fire! A little reminder of ‘The Soldier’

 

‘If, i should die, think only this of me:

That there’s some corner of a foreign field,

That is for ever England..’

Poetry at its best.

 

 

Freud…in the end I succeeded

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Getting ready for my next course, but watching the best documentaries on BBC4. Last night’s  Freud ‘Genius of the modern world‘ was thought provoking to say the least.

As the narrator revealed he was so often criticized as being unscientific! I became interested…no fascinated in this great man’s works many years ago when researching dream time. I will be re-reading ‘The Interpretation of dreams‘ again this summer.

How tragic it was that this brilliant man’s books were burned in the streets of Vienna during the second world war.

He was ahead of his time and definitely left us challenging the way we think and led the way for counselling…not to be a hostage to our past but become true masters of our own minds (as quoted within the program).

It ended with his own words:

‘In the end I succeeded but the struggle is not yet over’

 

Missing my dad…

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Last night I watched the BBC program ‘Tank Heroes of WWII’. My father was in the Desert Rats a radio operator in the tank corps. He won several medals including one for saving their radio from a burning  tank. When one watches real footage of the second world war our eyes are peeled just hoping we get a glimpse of somebody we knew.

As this program revealed British tanks were tiny inside and nicknamed ‘tommy cookers’ a phrase I overheard my mother use many times when talking about Dad. It can’t have been pleasant spending days cooped up that way. Dad received a head wound in the D day Normandy landings and was separated from his fellow comrades and ending up with a Canadian platoon.

He was notified as missing in action and turned up many months later in a little French hospital and moved back home. He had many narrow escapes as did many but he was to come home to his wife, have five children before dying suddenly just age 44 and we have no way of knowing whether his head wound was a contributing factor to his death.

We were raised positively by our mother reminding us to live a day at a time and live it well as we never know what is around the next corner. Sadly we do not have many tales of his time in the forces as he did not approve of discussing what he had seen front of women and children. Let’s be honest it was the British Stiff Upper Lip attitude back then and those that suffered did so in silence without proper support.

I discuss my life without dad and bereavement of losing a parent within my forthcoming book ‘Dancing in my dreams’ currently with my publisher.

We did miss out not knowing our dad as a man just a provider mum was right when she said that to us. He gave the best part of his twenties for his country as did so many young men and far too many gave their lives.