Good morning. Good afternoon. Good evening, wherever you may be on the Planet. My Blog viewings are rising a little in numbers over the past few days which to me is encouraging.

Why am I writing a Blog?

I have wanted to write a book for years, 26 years to be just about precise, and a Blog seems to be a natural way of easing oneself into finding if one has an audience-or not. My primary mission in writing is to do my very best to do my bit to help make our World free of suffering-which I sincerely believe is possible.

The fascination of wanting to write is to firstly share a healing experience I had back in 1987. I have written two short pamphlets on this subject before. The first one was called , “It is safe to remember.” I wrote it in two days in the late 80’s. I probably sold 50 or 60 of them and even got them into two bookshops in London. The second called “Explosive Awakening” I wrote in the late 90’s. I wrote it on the spectacular island amongst the Canary archipelago, El Hierro-in 5 days. I didn’t sell many of them but I loved writing it.

I have owned numerous typewriters, laptops and word processors over the years, many of them having had their lives shortened by my frustrated clenched fist!  (I’m over that now-just!).

The healing experience turned my world upside down. It turned it the right way up actually, but grappling with its implications I have not found easy…although they are getting easier!

I spent years not feeling able to join in with the majority workings of society, and fled abroad at any opportunity, to almost anywhere, with as little a money that I had on me at the time. (I realize I am not alone in this one!).

Tripping over my feet a lot of the time I suppose I staggered from place to place, often penniless, often pissed off, but all the time finally helped, by strangers, family, circumstances, jobs, chance meetings or extraordinary happenings.

I have tried to write a book in a cave in Cyprus, (there’s a story in that one). I have tried to write a book in a cave on the Greek island of Antidespotiku. Try finding that one on your map! There’s a story in that one too. I’ve tried to write a book in Turkey, Thailand, Kashmir, (there’s a story in that one as well, including 7 kg of porridge oats, Michael Jackson and disco dancing). The Cyprus story involves nightmares, machine gun fire and a bag of carrots.

I spent a couple of days last week writing up 26 travel adventures, and then I remembered another 28.

I wonder at the relevance of interesting adventures that make people laugh and smile…when there are people dying all around our Planet, from wars, hunger, poor governance.

But surely we ‘are’ allowed to smile and to laugh and to enjoy the pleasures of life? If we are making sincere attempts to change our world for the good, smiles and laughter can be seen as gifts for our efforts, fuel to carry on, recognition that there is huge joy to be had…when we’ve solved every painful problem on earth. And what amazing joy that will be.

Amongst some of the horrors we are still witnessing today I still believe we are approaching pain free days.

Do you?

(ps. First day at work on narrow boat-very good).
(ps. Second day tomorrow!).

Have a good morning, afternoon or night, wherever you may be. Cheers, Simon.