booktowrite

It’s a time to pause for thought. A time to contemplate the concept of relevance and how to remain relevant whilst growing older in a world of constant change. It’s a rare day off today and in a few hours I will board a train destined for New York City. With thoughts of J.D. Salinger, Henry Miller, Woody Allen, the Beastie Boys and many of my other favourite things from New York I also realise that there is a fast-paced world out there that is almost intolerant of things such as vacation and that especially in America there is a work ethic, or a world view, that work comes first over all and that vacation is simply a luxury that most can’t afford, professionally. I have always had something of a death wish or a touch of a desire for self-destruction and I have always felt that life is simply not worth the struggle if there is nothing but work involved. Twice in my life I have quit my job to travel around and have moved to live and work in four different countries. Regardless of my movement, my job changes, and my increasing age, the world has kept turning. When we see posts online of people saying ‘do what you want’ we have to realise that it is simply not possible to quit our jobs and decide to bake or write or sing for a living if we need to pay rent but it is true that there are many alternatives and options and that we should strive always to find a balance and that, most of all, we must try to have fun.