Marriage  Proposals

This is not about how people ask each other just how much they want to ruin each other's lives (I am divorced, bitter and twisted!) but about the recent vote in parliament over same sex marriages. Mostly.

Whilst perusing the shopping district of Newcastle I was handed a leaflet that told me Jesus Loved me. Which was nice, I suppose. How a man who died 2000 years ago could do such a thing was not answered and I was not in a mood to ask. Having been brought up in the Christian tradition I am well aware of the basic principle of the whole Jesus/God thing. So I binned the leaflet and continued on my way to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle.

I haven't been here for some time. Generally I like art galleries because visiting them makes me think  I am a bit erudite (and probably a bit pretentious). I have a problem though and that is I don't really understand art as such and often wonder just what it is I should be appreciating.


There is a comedian over here called Micky Flanagan (http://www.mickyflanagan.com/videos/

In one of his pieces about art he complains that he also doesn't know what he should be appreciating or just how long he should stand in front of a piece of work. He goes on to say that the card describing the art work should also contain a suggestion for how long you should stand in front of it for. Nice idea.

Turned out I had just missed a whole bunch of Dame Laura knight paintings. This is one of the Laing's own collection entitled "Dark Pool"

It is on of my favourites. I have a photo of my daughter staring into a rock pool in Cornwall in a similar repose (jeans and a t shirt mind you) and it just reminds me of better times!

Poncy cultural needs satiated I left the  gallery and made my way over to a coffee emporium that  will sell me coffee beans of every hue and taste. It is a place called Pumphrey's.

I call here about once a month after I have been paid. It is cheaper to buy my coffee in a supermarket but one day i hope to buy a blend that will knock my socks off. I enjoy coffee, lots of it. I have all types of coffee maker depending on my mood.

It was on my way here, as I passed the Grey's monument, that I was handed yet another leaflet. I accepted in the hope it was an advert or special offer for something food related.

No such luck, and i guess the place I got it should have given me a warning,
it was a fancy leaflet for the Coalition for Marriage. Which is an interesting title when you consider they are actually trying to prevent a part of the population from marrying.

So having done the travelogue we are now at the part that I was inspired to write, even as a travelled in to the city on the bus.

I think that the problem with the world is that there is just not enough love in it.

I was listening to a radio debate and a subsequent listener phone in and the thing that struck me is just how much people dislike and mistrust. Hate would probably be too strong a word. It would seem there is a feeling in the world we need to deny people access to this and access to that. We distrust some religions or religion all together.

Multi culturalism came under attack quite a lot. I often wonder what drives this particular mood. My guess is that these people feel threatened in some way. It is driven by fear and anxiety though. I am not sure how a multi cultural society can be a threat to anyone. A multi cultural society is not, in my opinion, a thing you actively strive for, it is instead the natural state of a truly democratic society. The default setting if the world you live in gives you the freedom to live as you would.

There are limits of course, because the above is a recipe for anarchy. But in general it holds true.

I heard a quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi "You must be the change you wish to see in the world". Nice one that is exactly what most terrorists would argue they are doing.

Once upon a time I was on a plane heading back to Washington DC where my brother lived at the time. The man in the next seat to me was a wise old head and gave me several tips about how to extract maximum service from an airline. But his piece d'resistance was his advice on what to see in Washington. One thing and one thing only. The Jefferson Memorial. I did as I was bid the very next day.

I wouldn't say it was quite an epiphany moment but I immediately knew why I had been sent there. On the memorial is a text that described a land the gentleman wished to live in. A cause to strive for. Goodness know the US is as bad as anywhere but hey! - you gotta dream.

Oh yes Coalition for Marriage! Gave me quite a giggle actually. It even suggested that a "three way marriage" would be possible in the future. That is hilarious! The definition of bigamy is of being married to one too many people. I reckon monogamy is much the same thing! but to deliberately enter into a three way marriage? Good luck with that one!