He passed this way once

I'm a happy man. 

Yesterday I received a copy of a book, my blog articles written in the year 2012 covering events that caught my attention in that year. It was the result of an idea I had to turn these web based articles into a book in the hope that perhaps someone will find them historically interesting, a memoire on events that happened that year.

It was the year of the London Olympics and I think my writing has caught the mood, not only of the marvellous 'opening ceremony' but also the response of the crowds to the success of the British Team. 'They kept on winning' and the mood in the country was tremendously empathetic.
But it was not all about the Olympics. I dealt with ageing and loneliness, of destitution and success. I threw in a bit of Buddhist philosophy, are well as some of my own and ranged over the human condition in general. The economics of the world were well and truly falling apart and Greece was in turmoil. Religion was in the ascendancy and of course there was always the political scene to ponder.
When you write, you write for yourself. Your audience is a side issue although ones Ego hopes that others will understand and enjoy what you write. But it's the business of getting 'it' off your chest that is the real motivator.
People say why do you concern yourself with things you can't effect ?
Well it would be a dreary old world if we showed no interest in anything outside our immediate concern. If the only thing you thought about and became mentally embroiled in were the relatively domestic events which run our existence.
To have feelings for and even passions about that happen in remote parts of the world or, closer to home, the fabric of the society you live in, then I think you are missing a great opportunity. It is only when you compare your own life with others do you reach any kind of perspective. It's only when you confirm your beliefs with the beliefs that others hold do those beliefs become tangible.
Writing is cathartic. It slows the humdrum thought process and focuses on the specifics. It questions the assumptions by placing the thought on the page to look at and consider, "am I right".
Of course it doesn't answer that question because one man's opinion is just that, one man's opinion. But it does hold that opinion up to the spotlight to examine and if necessary criticise.
I am proud of the book and tremendously pleased my son Andrew went to the trouble and the expense of taking it out of my hands and organising this for me.
As I say the first book covers the year 2012. I also intend to have printed the articles written in the years, 2013 and 2014 and when we reach the end of this year, 2015.
A coffee-table edition. Pick it up at any page and find something of interest and time relevant. Also, since the 'ego' is never far away,  when I pass on, at least there will be some sort of footprint to acknowledge "he passed this way once" !