WOW The Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games was A.MAY.ZING!
Little Amo 🙂
I know it might sound like a bit of a cliché but it really has made me think about my outlook on life! I’m such a lazy mare most of the time. And though I hide it (pretty much) on this blog, I can be a bit of a complainer.
I spend a ridiculous amount of time looking at everybody else’s life and asking God to make me someone else or even just like someone else. I want less fat and more intelligence. I want less insecurity and more hilariousness. I want less work and more money.
It was quite striking to see hundreds of people celebrating the difference between them and the Olympians we saw march into that same stadium a month ago. They celebrated that which makes them Paralympians.
Curehead and corsage days
For years I strove to be different. I worked hard on my ‘look’ and made sure I had a look that was noticed by everyone. I wanted to stand out from the crowd. But ended up hanging out with a gang of people who looked just like me! Outside confidence hid the fact that I was never happy.
Spoiler alert… Most of my confidence and bravado is still a tribute to my acting abilities 😀
The life I have and the person I am is the creative work of God! So maybe I should look in the mirror and say something along the lines of, “Enough of your moaning, Amo! Get on with the life you have, and stop wishing for another life!” That contentment, no matter what , is a very biblical principle. Paul says in the book of Philippians, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation”
I wish I was like that! I would love to be like Paul! You see… there I go again! 😀
I wish I was like her! oh hang on it’s me 😀
I wish the greatest of success to all the athletes. Especially our Irish heroes. And I hope that the Olympic motto – “Inspire a Generation!” does exactly that.
I was certainly inspired tonight!
At the ceremony Stephen Hawking said “Look up at the stars and not down at your feet” If I may add… and look to the One who made them – the stars… and your feet! 🙂
After reading some articles on the use of photos online in blogs/Pinterest/Tumblr etc it occurred to me that I may not be using images properly. To be honest I’m not 100% sure about it all but in the interest of ‘best practise’ and to keep myself out of trouble I have removed and/or amended some images.
I loved reading the tributes to Neil Armstrong that rolled around Twitter, Facebook, blogs and websites. Although, some of the American press almost over looked his death. Well he died on a Saturday you see… and towards the end of the summer when some newsrooms are scantily staffed. (huh?)
NBC are being particularly mocked online for reporting that ‘Astronaut Neil Young’ had died! (huh?) You don’t need me to provide you with link! Just google it and choose your own!
As much as it feels wrong that the story wasn’t covered very well, maybe it’s fitting that he had a quiet exit. For a man at the centre of world changing events, Neil Armstrong seemed to live a very normal life after walking on the moon. There isn’t a raft of TV interviews that we can search youtube for. There are a lot of books about him but it’s said he only wrote one himself. By all accounts, he was a quiet unassuming man who went back to his home state to teach Aerospace Engineering. Never really got involved in politics and as far as my research can tell me – he never did an advertisement for anything!
But the most interesting thing to me was the well wishers who bade him farewell as he left our atmosphere and went back to the stratosphere that not only defined him, but which he defined. It was actually very emotional to read some of the Tweets. Retweeted again and again, coming from all over the world. Wishing him well on his way…
Death is a (not so) funny thing though isn’t it?! It is one of the few things, maybe the only thing that we can guarantee EVERY SINGLE PERSON will experience – yet we’re almost always surprised to find someone has died. The reaction to death and opinion of its outcome varies across the world, across religions & philosophies and across time. But more often than not – we’re not prepared for it.
I’m not usually a blogger of dismal subjects. But you must remember that for me – though I do cry when someone dies, it is not a ‘dismal’ subject for me. There is an eternity to be enjoyed which, when this rubbish body of mine eventually gives up on me, I look forward to.
My father-in-law had an amazing attitude to death. When he was ill he believed that if he got well again – GREAT, but if he didn’t – he’d get to be with Jesus so… GREAT. For him it was a win – win situation. Basically saying what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
I’d be lying if I said that I totally have my head around that one. But I am confident that beyond space, beyond the moon and beyond the space beyond the moon… there is an eternity and a heavenly home for me! My departure from the earth will make no headlines (unless I die in some freak spandex accident or am eaten by a mongoose…) Maybe one or two of my Tweeps might say something nice about me. And sure there might even be a nice little obituary to me in the local paper. Something like… “She ate a lot of chocolate but it was people like her who kept Cadbury’s open and contributed to the recovery of Ireland’s economy and the return of the ‘boom’!” As you can see I’m not expecting to go for a while yet! 🙂
But… whether my exit makes a splash or not, my entrance into the next world with be a party. A big party! And you’re invited by the way!
After the success of my hit single “Is that what it’s all about?” The Twoky Kokey I’ve been commissioned to write a song for a Twitter budso @johnmurphy51 to the tune of ‘My Lovely Horse. (If you’re not familiar with this ‘Fr. Ted’ hit just click here to see the youtube clip)
Have you got the tune in your head now? Ok then… here we go!
(oh lovely lovely lovely John)
Oh lovely John
One of Twitter’s gems
Why are you tweetin’ when you should be meetin’ lovely girls?
I want to take you to a singles bar, or maybe to a teadance
Set you up with a nice cailín, & sort you out with some romance
(oh lovely lovely lovely John)
Oh lovely John
Your opinions are strong
Running the country would be easy for you, cos you’re sure you are right….
Even though you’re not ‘Right’…!
just to say that you have an opportunity to vote for an individual post of mine in the Grafton Media Blog Awards.
Most of the results will be decided by judges but the ‘Best Blog Post’ is The People’s Choice. So if you think that this post dedicated to her nieces and nephews is worth voting for, please do.
As promised, in celebration of reaching more than 1000 followers on Twitter I have written a song for you all 🙂
I’ve mentioned a few tweeps and would love to have been able to crowbar a few more of you in, but really there aren’t many Twitter names that rhyme with other Twitter names – or that rhyme with… just… words!
I’ve taken a little bit of license with the ‘scanning’ of the words. General rule… if there is a number at the end of a Twitter name I’ve ignored it for the purposes of (and I use this term loosely…) poetry. The only one that doesn’t apply to is @booksmusic72 – the ‘2’ is crucial for the purposes of (and I use this term even more loosely this time…) poetry.
The stuff in brackets in the chorus is to be shouted out!
And so.. to the tune of “The Hokey Kokey” I give you
A song for my Twitter followers...
Is That What it’s All About?
So what’s on Twitter folks?
Some famous blokes,
strong opinions & some Bible quotes
There’s ‘Cats that look like Hitler’ & some dogs in skirts
Is that what it’s all about ?
More followers on Twitter
More followers on Twitter
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
There’s those that love the Left
And love the Right
Or think that politics is all a load of… rubbish 🙂
& half the #irishbizparty’s in Twitter jail!
Is that what’s it all about?
More followers on Twitter
More followers on Twitter (GIVE ME…)
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
You’ll find an expert here
from every sphere
Writin’ farmin’, lovin’ eatin’ – Conquerin’ your fears
And anyone who’s anyone is writ’n a book!
Is that what it’s all about?
More followers on Twitter (GIVE ME…)
More followers on Twitter (I’VE GOT..)
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
I love @adublinluas
& @ghook’s news
@nettiewriter & @conziesays too
@JohnMurphy51’s my guru, @richjm612’s my man
And they get a big #shoutout
More followers on Twitter (WAIT! WHAT?)
More followers on Twitter (HELP ME)
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
And then there’s cool #kevq
@booksmusic72
@philipnolan1 & @dedewatson too
@jimsheridan replies to me, I’ll have you know
And they’re what it’s all about!
More followers on Twitter (CAN’T GO ON)
More followers on Twitter (NERVES ARE GONE)
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
So now I’ve reached 1 K
I want to say
Thanks to my followers, I read you everyday
Well just the ones I follow back cos youse are MAD
And THAT’s what it’s all about!
More followers on Twitter (OH NO I’VE GOT…)
More followers on Twitter (HAVE LOST THE PLOT)
More followers on Twitter
#hashtag #retweet
#blahblahblah
In case you didn’t read the previous post (and shame on you btw :D) I should mention that I was one of a number of bloggers who were set a challenge to write a post using two words randomly pulled out of a hat… and my two were ‘sandwich’ and intrigue’. So here we go…
Recently I tried to think of a vicar/priest/minister that isn’t portrayed as ridiculous or nasty in film/TV/literature. I’m not one of those people who hears about something that is hailed to be “disgraceful and offensive” to Christians and then goes looking for it so I can see how disgraceful it is and how offended I am! I do confess to being quite curious when I hear of the outrageous stuff, but I tend not to get too worked up.
From the funny, but hopefully inaccurate, Welsh vicar ranting about sandwiches, (you can see the clip here – just to check how offensive/funny you do/don’t find it – delete as appropriate) to the sinister scenes of intrigue and conspiracy with plotting bishops and assassin priests in The Da Vinci Code – your choice seems to be… wally or baddie. (Other clerical baddies include Cardinal Richelieu in The Three Musketeers and Dan Brown wheels them out again in Angels and Demons)
As much as I loved The Vicar of Dibley, she was a bit more sex mad than a single woman of the cloth is probably supposed to be. And there’s a whole host (pardon the pun) of poor hapless priests and vicars to choose from. Four Weddings and a Funeral has that great wedding ceremony scene with Rowan Atkinson. Jane Austen’s father was a minister, and a good one at that (supposedly anyway – I never met him myself), yet pretty much anytime she wrote a vicar/curate into one of her books, he was silly and vain. There seems to be no end of incompetence. Programmes like Rev, Jam & Jerusalem, Keeping Up Appearances, Killinascully – they all have these bumbling halfwit clergymen! And then there’s Father Ted…
I’m not saying they’re not funny or well written. OK some more than others, but they are often very funny and in some cases scarily well written. Tell me, people of Ireland, how many of the priests in Father Ted are you sure you’ve met at some stage in your life!
So, I’m waving a banner. Just to say that there are many good, faithful, hardworking men and women out there. Serving God, serving the church and serving the community. Just in case there is someone somewhere wondering whether church leaders are all wallies and baddies. My answer is a resounding… CERTAINLY NOT! Well… not all 🙂
In a little nod to the restoration of faith in the faithful, let me quote just a few lines from Series 1, Episode 5 of Jam and Jerusalem. The doctor’s receptionist ‘Tipp’ (played by the wonderful Pauline McGlynn, of Mrs.Doyle fame) is talking to the local Church of England vicar about how she was,
“raised by nuns in a cold convent, in southern Ireland.”
“Yes, it must have been dreadful.” came the Vicar’s half-hearted reply.
“No, actually. It was lovely.” answered Tipp. “I won’t have a word said against them! But THAT won’t win you the Booker Prize will it?”
I went to the launch of the Grafton Media Blog Awards Ireland last night. It was also the 2nd birthday party of the #klck (Kilkenny, Laois, Carlow, Kildare) Bloggers Network. It was a great night. Met a few I’d met before and met some Twitter buds face to face for the first time.
These are similar to the scratches on my knee but not as bad as the dent in my ego
The grape was flowing and there was some very nice food. We’d a few short presentations and some quick, fun blogging games. It was great craic!
BUT… 2 things happened that weren’t so great…
First… as me & himself were leaving, I tripped over a cobble stoney thing and went flying. And I mean flying! I remember saying out loud in some bizarre alien voice… “ohhhh nooooo!” as the path sped towards me. My phone in my hand, I had to fling it to try save myself & the thought flashed through my mind…. “I hope that new iphone cover is as good they said it would be…” CRASH!!!!!
Before I knew it, a man who I knew wasn’t the one I’d arrived with, was making sure I hadn’t broken my leg (while I was hoping someone was making sure I hadn’t broken my phone). With effort in greater proportion to the man, he managed to pick me up, and I was half way home when I realised he’d been at the awards and he’d been in the LIFT as we were leaving. I found him on Twitter & suitably mortified, thanked him – for all my 735 followers to see!
Second… I thought the awards had made me forget how to blog! I had been working all day and pondering on a blog post for this evening but… nada! Nothing, not a thing to say. Didn’t even think that the ‘falling over’ story was worth telling. Although reading it back, why I thought you lot wouldn’t LOVE IT, I don’t know! 🙂
So on Facebook, I asked for a subject to help me get writing and my mate Matt from Kent sent me this one… “why so many people are now feeling the need to blog. Blogs everywhere.”
Why so many blogs? I don’t really know Matt. Sorry. bye…. 🙂
It’s a good question though and I actually don’t know the answer. There are 28 different categories in this year’s awards. So does that mean there are at least 28 reasons? At the launch we had a representative from the Irish Internet Association. Her main connection to blogging is within the buisiness community – which seems to be a huge area of blogging! It’s said to be a great way of connecting a buisness to its customers in a more personal, regular and direct way.
In a few of the million articles I’ve read on blogging lately (sorry I can’t ref them…) it said that authors use blogs to stay connected with their fans in between books. They often put teasers and snippets on their blog to have their readers eager to buy their books once published. Other categories in the awards include, personal, lifestyle, music, journalist, popculture, food/drink, eco/green, arts/culture, photography, sports/recreation, humour, craft….
I think for professionals, it’s a marketing tool and a great way of more regularly connecting with customers. It’s also a great way of having a section of your business website that is always changing. But for the rest of us, it’s a way of sharing thoughts & interests. building a reputation for humour & story telling and also for sharing & gaining expertise.
For me personally… ? Well mine is a combination of things. I love writing and I want to be better at it, so it’s good practice. I enjoy writing humour – usually about myself (not cos I think I’m funnier than anyone else – I just seem to fall over more often!) Combined with that is my desire to work out my salvation in fear and trembling (as the Bible says in Philippians 2v12) You won’t find deep Christian theology on this blog. It’s more about the stuff I believe and how I work that out on this bizarre journey that is my life. I use mine to say out loud some of the stuff rolling around my head. Some people appreciate it, many don’t. But saying it out loud certainly helps me think through things.
Not sure If I’ve really answered your question Matt. What I do know is that you are right! “Blogs everywhere.” There were 2000 nominations in the awards. Click here if you’d like to see the Long List. If that’s too many to skim through, take a quick look here. @limmster who has also been nominted in the awards, has put a number of Irish blogs on her #pinterest page. You’ll find mine there if you look carefully. (Look for a pic of Katie Taylor 😀 ) It’s a great quick look at the range of different blogs in Ireland. I’m not a lover of Pinterest but that page is quite striking. Thanks to Belle for letting me mention her here 🙂
And thanks to you Matt! You got me writing this evening which I needed to do.
An Intriguing Sandwich – I’ll try not to ham it up too much! I know… I’m a hoot!
Oh and one of the games that we played last night got a few bloggers to come up to the front, grab words out of a hat and using those words, we have to write a blog post within the next week! So I won’t need help with the next blog post! It’ll have at least one of my favourite words in it…
For the last week pretty much all the ‘search words’ that have led to my blog are …. “katie taylor christian” quite often with a question mark.
So this short and sweet post is to let you know that… YES! Katie Taylor is a committed Christian. I don’t know her full story and testimony but Dan Tabb from Sports Across Ireland interviewed Katie for VOX Magazine in 2009 and here is a snippet of what the article said about her sport and her faith.
Katie’s perspective on being a Christian and a boxer is similar to that of Olympic champion runner Eric Liddell of ‘Chariots of Fire’ film fame. When challenged by his sister about running versus serving God full time in China as a missionary, he responded, “I believe God made me for a purpose… but He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure. To win is to honour him.”
Katie shared, “I believe the talent, ability and motivation I’ve been given is truly a gift from God. I am very humbled and feel so blessed for the life the Lord has given me. I’m very grateful for the gifts and talents [God] has given me. I do not take the gifts for granted, but rather hone those gifts and abilities through diligent training twice a day, six times a week. My preparation and performance is my act of worship.” ***
I’m sitting here watching two rowers cry. They’ve worked as hard as they can. They are hardly able to speak, but the few words they are managing to get out are apologies. I couldn’t work out everything they said but it was something along the lines of, ‘we really tried… we just couldn’t… we’re so sorry… we wanted to do it for everyone… I’m sorry… I can’t….’
I’m looking at these two men and suddenly the ‘spirit of the Olympics’ is lost on me. These guys didn’t do anything wrong. They didn’t cheat, come last, fall out of the boat, forget to bow before their monarch. They came 2nd! Not in the heats. In the final. They won Olympic Silver and could barely speak with the exhaustion and upset.
Now I am NOT criticising these guys. Well… maybe I am a tiny bit. But I want someone to explain to me why getting silver isn’t FANTASTIC. What is the point of 3 medals if only 1 is worth winning? And why do these guys feel they have let their supporters down?
I watched all the Olympians stride in to that arena with pride at the opening ceremony. It was enough for them just to be there, just to have made it that far! Well it looked like it was. But time after time I’m seeing athletes crying and saying how sorry they are to the fans for not getting a medal, or for getting a medal but not getting a gold one!
Are we not proud enough of them? Are we expecting too much of them? Or not enough?
The motto of the Olympics this year is “Inspire a Generation!” and the definition of Olympism – which is at the head of the Olympic Charter, is “A philosophy of life, which places sport at the service of humankind.” It’s starting to feel as if some of that is being forgotten.
Bert Le Clos. (C) of the photo remains with the BBC
Did you see Bert Le Clos gush over his son’s gold medal! It was amazing. And it’s ok for the elation to be a tad less for silver and even and little bit less than that for bronze. For those who’ve worked hard for the last 4/6/8/10 years and have missed out on a medal, it must be really tough.
But they shouldn’t apologise and they shouldn’t feel they have to.
I’m not saying we should all sing The Fields of Athenry for an hour, even if our own Katie Taylor doesn’t get anywhere. But she and the rest of the Olympians should know that they’ve already made us proud!
Just another Christian woman... 