Competition

OK, I'm not really being fair and realistic comparing myself with someone over 20 years my junior, but my fellow blogger still seems to be living 3 lives at once and though I did a lot more at his age I've never come across anyone who does that much. But in competition at the ripe old age of 47 with no family or children to get me out and about, I am at the phase of looking for inner peace and happiness and unlike many people who endure the same cinemas and theatres all their lives (are there that many?) I overdid that and more or less wound down in my mid 20s.
Then at mid 30s, thanks to Barnet being promoted, I started going to football regularly which continued almost to 2005, though I reached a similar point after over 70 matches, about 60 within 8 years, that I'd become more interested in collecting new teams than watching matches. I want to see Arsenal reserves and Barnet again sooner or later but have had so many illnesses recently I need to be fully fit before I go. Around the same time I started spiritual lectures which also continued almost to the present day, mainly as I doubt there is anything new left to hear and prefer to practice what I learned in the last ones than keep adding and get confused.

So really I have been far from out of it, just felt like I was. Now I see a supermarket as a major ordeal, but apart from frozen meals the new grocers who sprung up near me (after losing my 24/7/365 Budgens I relied on for years) are the same prices so no need to care. My last year's activity has been digital photography, over 1100 pictures on flickr, many printed and well over 100 of the best in 2 hardback albums. Then I began my real ambition in 2005, being filmed for TV. I always wanted to be on the stage rather than in the audience, and apart from a week or so in an amateur production of Oliver in 1973 I have performed for small discos as the interval entertainment and sung at a comedy performance when the main act didn't turn up. Now I've been on TV around the world twice and will have an online performance (boo!) next month, the link I will add as soon as I get it, though sadly it will be subscription so don't bother.

So from going to watch other performers I also switched to meeting them or at least watching them informally. I have met and spoken to Harry Hill, Madge from Neighbours (Ann Charleston), four Big Brother housemates, Dave Bassett (football manager), as well as watching one of my top heroes Patrick Stewart rehearsing with Sheila from Brookside in the last few years. Behave our Barry!

So I think I have pretty well fulfilled and compensated for one phase ending and added some pretty useful activities instead and am now waiting for the next theme to take over especially as I'm running out of photos to take. But looking back on this entry I don't think I've been too slack the last few years however few places I actually seem to go to. Maybe that's just an illusion.