Tw@ Summer

And the stars of track and field

Aug 14, 2024

Each person’s grief is unique. We all cope differently…
Some people get really into hiking, some people turn to drugs or drink, some people write a best-selling novel, some people give back and try to help others and some people binge-watch seven seasons of the ‘quite funny’ sitcom ‘New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.’
In 2021, I was the latter… Until coverage of The Olympics took over the airwaves.

3 years was the last time the Olympics was on and my Mum had just died. I watched these incredible athletes compete against each other for what can only be described as ‘quite an underwhelming prize…’ A big Gold Necklace. I’d much prefer something more fashionable/practical/more fun. Like a holiday or a nice jumper or a house or a year’s supply of rice and/or soya sauce.
But I am not a sports star…. yet. So if the Gold necklace is what they want, then let them have it.

I am good at watching sports (with some sports, I’d only be watching for about half an hour and I’d already know the sport and tactics better than the actual professional athletes. If they messed up or weren’t performing as well as they should have been, I would often be shouting at the TV telling them how they could do better), but although I am good at watching sports, I am not great at playing sports. I’m competitive but not very good at anything which is pretty much the worst combination of personality traits ever invented.

Those 2 weeks in 2021 were overflowing with all the different types of tears. The constant stream of tears of sadness were interrupted intermittently by tears of joy for the athletes achieving the dreams that they’d worked so hard to achieve. (Obviously having to ignore the other 99% of athletes that didn’t win a medal and therefore probably upset and disappointed.)

It was very comforting watching these athletes compete. Watching the joy and pain and everything in between. The Olympics were a great distraction. I’d be living vicariously through these people performing at their peak as I lay on my Dad’s sofa kissing my dog.
But when the Olympics stopped it felt like it was time to go back to normal. Get back to normal? Impossible, of course…. But still expected of us all. I think it’s fair to say you never go back to normal after you lose your Mum at any age, you just cope with it because you have to or else what are you gonna do?
Get back to normal… Get back to working, looking at things on the internet, eating crisps, gossiping and whatever else people do in life.

Anyway, I say all this to say, that after watching some Olympics these last 2 weeks, I realised I actually find 85% of the sports quite boring to watch. Unbearably boring.

But as I watched the Olympics come to an end it reminded me to go back to normal again. When I say back to normal, all I mean is that I don’t really do much writing or anything like that in July or August because I find it too difficult to muster up the enthusiasm for creativity or passion for trying.

Through July and August, my brain is kinda floating around its shell, lightly bashing the sides of my skull, bouncing from side to side like the old DVD Screen saver. Then when the Olympics is finished it is a sign to try and wake myself up again and try to function as a human being for a few months until Christmas when I fade away again.

So it’s been over a month since the last newsletter!!
The newsletter will return properly in September but I just thought I’d drop in and say hello and hope everyone is having a lovely ‘brat Summer’

I asked someone the other day if they were having a nice ‘brat Summer’ and they said ‘I thought brat Summer just meant being white and in your 30s and bombing Mding and smoking cigarettes at exclusive parties?’ and I said ‘No, like with all modern words and phrases it means something completely different depending on who’s saying it…’

Even the right-wing, racists are doing their own version of ‘Brat Summer’ but instead of raving at expensive clubs WITH Charli, they are rioting and burning down hotels ON Charlie. You could say it’s more of a ‘Twat Summer’ for them.

*Feel free to use the Twat Summer joke at any point when talking to a friend or colleague about the Farage riots. Just by replacing the brat with twat you could really impress some people. It could be a good ice breaker for you to try and talk to that person you’ve wanted to talk to but never had the courage… It’s not only topical it also tells everyone where you stand politically (not racist) and culturally (you know a pop star.)

And just in case there is any ambiguity about my stance on such a divisive issue I feel like I should come out and say which side I am on…
I DO like brat. I think it’s an excellent album. And I think Charli XCX is a fun person to have shoved down our eyes and ears compared to the usual.

So, the newsletter will be back properly in September, I’ll still be doing Auld Radio throughout August and then yeah, back properly in September… I mean I could have just waited until September to send this newsletter but I guess I felt like the internet would kick me off if I didn’t post-summit even if it was just the utter nonsensical ramblings of a confused man.

Please see above a new lyric video for my song ‘The Water And What’s In It’ featuring Rachel Hearne and Jo Carson on guest vocals.

And last thing. I will be giving away free downloads of my new ‘Live EP’ which features four acoustic/live tracks from ‘If I Stay Angry I Can Forget How Sad I Am’
That will be included in the next Auld Radio next week.

Tw@ Summer

And the stars of track and field

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