“Around the middle of the road of life”
was how Dante began his Divine Comedy, meaning he was in his mid-thirties, the Biblical span being “three score years and ten”: it wasn’t the Psalmist’s fault the ConDems have misinterpreted the passage as indicating the age to which poor people should work at McDonalds before getting a state pension. And though my friend Emma was kind enough to say recently that I’d stay twenty-something until I started drawing that pension, in purely chronological terms I’m approaching my mid-thirties with more speed than enthusiasm.
And I haven’t written a masterpiece of world literature (not that I plan to). I haven’t written anything.
As you can see, then, I’ve decided to start occasionally blogging again (a redundant but unobjectionable statement of the sort that forms the basic stodge of British conversation: maybe its mashed potato).
Why blog? For a start, I’m opinionated. Contrary to popular rumour, local politicians don’t actually get all that many opportunities to hear the sound of their own voices; and in any case, if I tried to turn every meeting into An Audience With Mike Rowley, people would soon get fed up of the sound of mine. What I don’t get the chance to say in meetings, but would like to, will go here, along with any other stuff I feel like posting.*
I know. I’m really selling this blog, aren’t I?
The proper purpose is hopefully to share a few thoughts and ideas, serious and otherwise. I’m not bigheaded enough to think this will ever have a wide readership, but if I can draw a few people’s attention to things I feel strongly about, and make a few people laugh now and then, I’ll have achieved my objectives. Wish me luck.
* Needless to say my posts aren’t to be taken as reflecting the views of Oxford Labour, any of my fellow Labour Councillors or the Council as a whole. If they always did that would be scary in more ways than one.
” If they always did that would be scary in more ways than one.”
Or awesome.