Started from the bottom...

Where to start when beginning a Blog?

A cheesy paragraph on reflection I suppose.

Back in the day when I left school,  we were forced into the imaginary, fool proof belief/idea of going straight to University- leave the country, go away for 4 years and boom, there’s your ideal job right in the palm of your hand.

Many of my friends and family did this-

 £20,000 in debt and a job at your local takeaway somehow seemed unappealing for me.

When I was 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do, living in Belfast trying to find your niche is about as easy as squeezing an elephant through a whole in a needle- that’s right, worse than a camel analogy.

I tried to experiment and find out what exactly my niche was- firstly I studied a Foundation Year of Art and Design which I thoroughly enjoyed- yet I didn’t push myself hard enough and I left still wondering about my options.

That decision led me into my other passion: Journalism.

For two years I studied Broadcast Journalism. I got experience my love and passion for radio, technology, Television, Arts, culture- and expressing  peoples varied opinions and ideas. 

However, the course lacked any substance, the college had no funding for real projects, no placement opportunities and no jobs prospects.  I was a confused and lost 18 year old all over again.

Before I drag this post into sounding evermore melancholy, there was an experience that I want to share: it wasn’t anything special, nor would it stand out in most people’s memories. 

But for me, it meant getting off my arse and trying something that was always at the back of my mind..

I was waiting on a bus home after a long day of dreary class at the beginning of December - it was cold, the traffic was heavy and the bus wasn’t going to come for at least half an hour. I was having to stay at my mum’s place that night, as my house mates had destroyed our flat to the point where I was stepping on shards of glass, there was mould  and sick on the walls and carpets and there a haze through the corridors because of the smoke- 5 months in. Was getting a bit miffed.

Beside me at the bus stop was a mature, short, blonde haired woman beside me. She was wearing a warm fleecy coat, red gloves, her make up done perfectly and a warm gentle smile.

She asked me if I knew what time her bus was coming at. After that we started speaking about being home for Christmas and what we were excited for this year.

She told me, “Oh its family of course, I can’t wait to see my daughter…I had her when I was 15, I raised her by myself while I worked while travelling across the world. You name a place in the world, I’ve been there. See you weren’t allowed contraception back then…

When she grew up, we both got married on the same day. And she had my granddaughter on my birthday. I now have 20 grandchildren in total and half of them live with me. It's great.”

I asked her, “Really? Are you thinking of having more kids?”

“Of course not love, I’m 85 years old…oh, there’s my bus. Get home safe.”

Holy Crap.

 I thought this woman was in her late fifties or even early sixties- not 85 years old! How graceful she was and looked- she had an incredible life story from someone who lived in the estate around the corner. What amazed me was she told me her incredible life story in a matter of minutes-  heck I wish I got to speak to her more.

And after that, I made a few changes. I passed my course, worked over the Summer and moved to the South of England to study Promotional Media. And now I am focused on the Media Industry more than ever.

And this is where my blog begins.

This blog isn’t going to be about me, its about the things around me, how I feel, what I like/dislike, what inspires me and most importantly, to create a blogging community with other fellow bloggers, who may inspire me or have similar stories as I do.

If your'e reading this, or even feel just like me- 'mon in and join!

So for the next while, I will ramble, rant, review and reflect…

And like that woman I met at the bus stop- I’ll just go with the flow of things!

Life’s too short.

'Wasted time' Source- etsy.com/pinterest/letterpress.