I feel like I’m in an enviable position in many ways.

I did write a whole paragraph about the various situations that folk find themselves in, but with the best will in the world, it still made depressing reading, so I’ve deleted it.  If anybody out there really wants to appreciate their own life more – drop me a line and I’ll cheer you up with some figures.

Where do I stand in all this?  In a military career spanning 20+ years I saw enough of life to appreciate my own survival, so anything else was a bonus from then on.  I followed that with 20 years of retail management, during which I saw a whole new spectrum of life and attitudes.  Here I am today, with a few days to myself, but even at work now I’m only there three days a week – and it’s not management.

I can deal with other people’s situations through some simple reasoning.  The employment situation and the homeless are beyond anything I can do, apart from the fact that a lot of them have created their own situations.  I regularly donate to chosen charities so that removes any feeling of guilt about doing nothing.  My efforts to raise funds for Comic Relief 2013 may not be much, but again, every £1 helps in that cause.   Please see my previous posts or visit my website to see how you could help:

http://www.tom-benson.co.uk/comic-relief-2013/

Fortunately for me, 60 is the new 40, or so I’m prepared to believe because it makes me feel good.  Writing is the meaning of life for me now.  I’ve always been a storyteller but only put them in print in recent years.  It’s gratifying to get feedback to the effect that some of it is actually good, so I’m going to stick at it.  I’ll be following this post with one on Reading and Writing, so at least it will serve two purposes:

First, it will let you all know what I’ve been reading recently, what I’ve been writing and that I do both … oh yes I do!  Secondly, it will refresh my own memory of what I’m up to these days – because there really is so much of it.  I’m serious, there really is!  There are competition entries, site updates, the next novel, a little poetry, e-publishing and would you believe mentoring, but that’s all for next time.

Okay, having said all that, I’ll just check my links are working, add a photo to create more interest, LOL … and then I’ll be back on to prepare the next post.  Today I must really make an effort to read other blogs.  Oh, and by the way, thank you for reading.