Practically Alice

I was about to start writing this post when I decided to turn my ipod on and, of all songs, Boys Boys Boys came on. Props to you Lady GaGa. Anyway, I was thinking last night about how the very romantic version of love we are fed is completely and utterly unrealistic. That's not to say that love does not exist, or you will die alone or anything melodramatic like that. But, honestly, there are over six billion people in this world; what are the chances that the person you may choose to call your 'soul mate' actually is? I don't mean this in a depressing way -- Romeo and Juliet can continue to be all star-crossed and all that sort of thing. Love does exist and I'd love to be in love because it feels great. But to say that our western culture feeds us an idea of 'true love' that is decidedly between one person and another person for their whole entire life is quite odd. I have one person in mind when I think of the possibility of whether without distance w...

I'm unsure if it is a nationwide event but every summer North Yorkshire County Council holds the Summer Reading Challenge in it's libraries. Ever since I moved to where I live now 14 years ago I have had some involvement with the SRC. From the ages of four to eleven I was an eager participant, then from eleven to fourteen I encouraged my sister to do it (though she tended to have a particular love for picture books until she discovered something she liked to read) and finally from fifteen to eighteen I have helped out as a volunteer, whether it be during the summer or encouraging people to do it. The aim of the Summer Reading Challenge is to get primary school aged children to read (I think) six books throughout the summer holidays. You get a pack full of stickers and a book log and you get little prizes every time you've read a couple of books. I always really, really enjoyed doing this. Not only did it make me addicted to reading and fall in love with the library, it go...

My wonderful friend Nicola is currently trekking around Europe. I am entirely jealous of her because of the experiences she is having and because of the incredible perspective she is gaining; we began talking about this trip of hers about a year ago and it has been a long time in the thinking and planning. Both of us being readers we tend to have book-goggles on and yes, our views of this trip were pretty overly optimistic! Saying that, Nicky has shown us on her blog  that sometimes it's best to have the best outlook and go with the flow. This is the attitude I uphold about pretty much everything. To me, being optimistic is what keeps me going. I fundamentally believe that things will work out okay. It does not mean that I don't get down or negative or sad because you can know things will be okay but also be sad or down. You can morn and appreciate that things are going to get better. Just as you can live in the present and go with the flow and know that even though things ma...

Dear Baby in a cafe, You are growing up in an incredible age. The age of the unknown. We are balancing on a thin line that could topple either way and the future, Baby, is unknown. For the moments that our eyes meet I see a world in your mind. The cogs whirring and your mind constantly processing everything. You see so much and understand so little; but that is changing. It is funny to think of all the new things you're currently learning about. Learning to eat, to drink, to speak, to listen and learn. The world which you observe, Baby, is wonderful. I cannot convey to you how incredibly grand it is because it simply is impossible to put it into words. It is wonderful - completely - but it is also full of terrible destruction. It's like a coin; there are two sides to it. I tend to pick the glass-half-full attitude, because I believe it will ultimately be okay. There are horrible things that happen in this world, Baby, and this world is heading down an unknown path. However...

As my '18' balloons slowly wilt closer and closer to the ground and I ruefully sip my fresh orange juice and promise my body that tomorrow will be without alcoholic beverage it is finally dawning on me that I'm all adult and stuff. I realise that the previous end to that sentence indicates otherwise but yes, I am a legal adult. I can vote and I can buy alcohol and I can finally socialise with friends on an evening without fearing for me life- I mean fearing getting kicked out. I guess I somehow thought that a miraculous thing would happen upon me turning eighteen... I'd be able to cope with things better and I'd not be scared witless about working full time for two weeks and I'd basically conquer the world. I do feel more grown up. I have met up with a friend in a pub and discussed literature and people and to top it all off I've worked my first slightly hungover shift very competently. All in all, I do feel more ready to conquer the world. Alas there is...

I am currently watching the seventh and final season of the wonderful Gilmore Girls and I can safely say that that television show is my little guiding light. I (probably along with every other young woman growing up) can identify so much with the Gilmore girls. With Lorelai Gilmore especially; I love her sass and her ability to deal and cope with things whilst not dealing and coping with them. Also coffee, that I've got from her too. I come out of watching the show with an almost elated feeling whereby I feel I can deal with anything and having recently put my big size sixes in it I feel in need of a nice little lifeboat (or tv show, either will do) that will allow me to have an (albeit false) sense of elation and empowerment and drive me to convince myself that I can do this. I'm not a pessimistic or overly dramatic person but sometimes I do feel, like every other person the planet, that I am drowning a little bit. When I was at school I could easily 'take a step back...