Express Yourself
One of the dumbest expressions we have is “wouldn’t say boo to a goose”.
I don’t see how scaring waterfowl would be any indication of bravery or confidence at all. It might be an early sign of madness. If you’re reading this and you have started freaking out ducks, then it’s time for a holiday.
A mongoose, maybe. I’ve seen stuffed ones of those in museums and they look terrifying. They look like a livid stote. Or a teased weasel. Stop it. Heh. Weasel teaser.
Quiet as a churchmouse, strong as an ox, stubborn as a mule, hungry like the wolf – fair enough. I’ll give you those. But someone who wants to scare geese? It’s just wrong. It’s not the quiet ones you want to watch.
One day someone’s going to run nuts with an axe and they’ll interview a neighbour and she’ll go: “Oh yeah, odd chap. Said ‘boo’ to geese.”
So listen to me going on - how are you, anyway?
I know I said two weeks, but two weeks, shmoo shmeeks.
I’m all right and it seems that everything I do I’m doing slightly better*, so I’m back sooner than I expected. What happened is that I hit a sudden deep low with very smooth walls.
I sometimes get pretty down which makes me not want to write. It’s not that important whether I write or not, but if I think it is, then I dwell on my own importance and that makes me sad. But if I don’t write, then I feel worthless like I’m not making the effort and that makes me sad.
Other things do as well, it’s not all about the blog, but it doesn’t help, but then being depressed, I’d be the first to point out that nothing does anyway. Nice, right?
At least two or three times a year I seriously consider deleting this blog and having nothing more to do with it rather than write it, and that’s when it’s time to have a break. The comments here reminded me that it’s OK to do that, which was great. So either you’re not bothered whether I write or not, or you’re the best readers in the world. As uncomfortable as it make me to address you collectively, it would be much harder to say nothing at all. Thanks especially to my dad and grandfather for their comments.
I don’t know. It’s a far cry from the innocent days when I first rolled into Blogsville in my short trousers with nothing but the words on my back and a suitcase full of dreams.
But if I could do it all again, though, if I could go back in time I’d go right up to that kid, put my arm around him and say: “Dude. Why the short trousers? And what’s the deal with carrying all your dreams around in a suitcase?”
It just seems like a stupid place to keep them, that’s all.
*Including this.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Glad yer back (I WAS still reading if not commenting).
As for deleting the blog, yeah I get that too, about the same frequency as you. Right now I’m a bit ‘meh’ about it… it’s just too much effort sometimes when many other things get in the road.
But, like you, I’d miss it when it’s gone..
May 13th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Hoorah! You are back. And you have lovely words with you.
PS. Mongooses (yes, not geese, do not ask me why) are not very terrifying for they are quite small. Like meerkats, only small. Did I mention the small?
May 13th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
RIki-TIki-Tavi ring a bell?
CLiff! You’ve been missed!
May 13th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Thanks Gordon - Kind of you to say so. Have a break if you need it, but don’t let the ‘mehs’ win. It’s your road.
Miss T - Yes. Yes I am. Small, mmm.
Ed R - I thought that was some Eurovision song you were breaking into. Also Sredni Vashtar.
Thanks all.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
No, it was Kipling.
Or Ravi Shankar. I sometimes get the two confused.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
For the record, I have never said boo to a goose. I did rescue a white duckling from certain death at the hands of a very angry swan once. I took the duckling home and put it in the back yard and fed it bread and sardines for a few months. When it was mostly adult I brought it back to the pond where I rescued him, and he promptly chased that swan down and harrassed the hell out of it. He’d do this quite often until one day the swan was gone. So while I suppose I raised a swan-hater, well, it WAS a rather bullying swan.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I went round for a year at uni going ‘BOOTOAGOOSE’. The theory being that I was too shy to say it when I was a bairn and was making up for lost time.
How sad was I, eh?
May 13th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I’m not sure how sad you were, but I’ll say welcome and good on you for now.
May 14th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Pretty sad, I can confirm. Cheers for the welcome!
May 15th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Basically, I have adopted the following positions on blogging generally:
1. I will write when I want to and not feel bad if I don’t, even if that does mean that the blog goes fallow for a couple of months or more.
2. I will be delighted when people I like to read do post, rather than aggrieved and tantrummy when they don’t.
In accordance with paragraph (2) above, I therefore declare myself delighted to see you posting again.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
3. Or worry when my comments go into moderation without explanation.
Thanks Katy.
In turn:
1. I will post when I’m good and ready and not when I’m neither, because if I’m not then it shows and I churn out rubbish. Also, no one expects more of me than I do of myself and that also needs looking at.
2. I will not mind when I put up a video post and no one comments, even if it confirms my worry that such forays are self-centred, ill-advised and generally awful.
3. Continue to fight Sam in the vlog wars whether he likes it or not.
May 15th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I was attacked and pecked on the knee by a Swiss goose outside a mountain restaurant once (not it’s breed - it’s location) and ‘boo’ was not the first thought on my mind. ‘Fucking boo you bastard’ might have been. I forget. I was a bit preoccupied and I don’t really think it was listening to me at that point anyway.
May 15th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Yes. I am doing well on (3), and I mean comment moderation rather than vlogging and Sam. Notice, for example, that I did not Facebook you demanding that I be uncorralled SOONEST this time.
May 16th, 2008 at 9:35 am
i gave up blogging years ago. i just comment now. and pretty much only here. i find it liberating, although i do feel kind of guilty if i leave it too long between pointless but well-meant contributions.
Cliff, i loved the last 2 paragraphs really a lot.
May 16th, 2008 at 10:09 am
i leave it too long between pointless but well-meant contributions.
I’m assuming your talking about your own here, Meester. Thanks as ever.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
It’s easy to get neurotic about comments - I’ve learned to seek validation elsewhere. I’m dreaming up ways of getting back on terms in the vlog wars, but unfortunately I’m bashful about walking down the street pointing my camera at myself and talking.
There ought to be workshops about this sort of thing, or some sort of Union. Seriously. I may come up with some sort of strategic plan for my blog, transfer some of my work principles. I just don’t feel like I get the best out of the whole process.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
It’s good to see you back and on good form, Cliff.
May 24th, 2008 at 10:38 am
I’m assuming your[sic] talking about your own here, Meester.
i see what you did there, you sly old self-deprecating fool. however, i know that you know full well that i meant my own.
should “full well” have been hyphenated?