Something special; something finished

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I write a bit – often in fits and starts. But today I finished something.

Radio New Zealand are running a competition to write a Christmas song. When I first heard about it I was on leave, driving down the east coast.

I got the first lines reasonably quickly, mulled the rest for a bit. Had enough for a couple of minutes. Spent a day or so recording it, then left it for a bit.

Then I did something unusual. I let people hear it. Played it to a colleague who loves Christmas and another couple of friends. People said good and constructive things.

I added some verses, re-arranged things; added instruments, even some quiet harmonies and twiddly bits. Ended up at 2:31. I mixed, listened on couple of sets of speakers. Found out my amp is only working on one channel.

And then, at 5pm, I sent it off. Time will tell what happens, but I’m happy to have it done. The hat is in the ring!

Begin the benign

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benign, Adj, from the Old French benigne, who nicked it off the Latin beningus, it means kind, gentle and mild.

You can check it at wordnik

Perhaps it’s the early onset old-timers, perhaps it’s the desire for a new set of references, or a new routine. Perhaps it’s time to be kind with the future in mind.

Maybe it’s the gradual realisation that those twenty good summers I’ve got left might be more, or might be less.

Maybe I’m deciding to be deliberately different, obdurately original; maybe I just can’t decide. But I’ve always liked the idea that to be different, you have to actually be different.

As the population’s getting older and older, more of us are going to be working longer and longer, then a gap year seems like a good idea.

Doesn’t it?