5 words, 2 songs, honesty and a carrot

One of my heroes is a man called Pip Wilson. Watched him strut his stuff in the Greenbelt venue 'Rolling Magazine' 20-25 years ago and now feel privileged to call him a friend.

We will be working together again tomorrow with a small group of people and I am looking forward to it. Have an idea to ask each person there to hold out their hands to receive two gifts. One will be a carrot which will be placed in their right palm. The other will not be given, nor even be there with us, nor will it ever be given. Can you guess what it is? Answers on a postcard, or just post a comment.....

Pip has a question he likes to ask - name five words to describe your life at the moment?

A couple of weeks ago we were having a beer and I selected these:

1. pressing
2. determined
3. needy
4. honest?
5. still

Unfortunately, when Pip blogged them (http://www.pipwilson.com/) he omitted the question mark - unintentional I'm sure.

It changes the meaning considerably doesn't it. I was wondering if, when and how often I am really honest with myself. Still pondering that one...will get back to you.

Today:

1. Honest?
2. Tired
3. Secure
4. Unchallenged
5. Uneasy

Meanwhile, Pip's friend Julie Benson has posed this one: (Hope I am not breaking any copyright here, Pip?) "What are two of the most beautiful songs you know?"

I think I will opt for: [1] Walk On - U2 [2] Like a Star - Corinne Bailey Rae (because it's current)

So, take your pick:

• five words
• two beautiful songs
• honest?
• what's the withheld present?

"Up the Arse"

I'm gonna get in trouble for that one, but it is used advisedly as I played at Arsenal (yes, Highbury, home of the Champions League Finalists) last week. This was due to an invite to a corporate event by Barclays who sponsor the Premiership.

There were two squads of 30 players who were split into smaller teams to each play a game of 40 minutes. The opposition manager was Irish international Sammy Nelson and mine the legendary Charlie George. Not that he looks like a footballer now, more like the hen-pecked husband from George and Mildred!

Anyway, the luck of the draw was that we had a team of total duffers and were stuffed 4-0 by a good side.

I didn't mind losing but it was disappointing that, with a minute to go, the Ref gave offside when I was 'sprinting' onto a through ball with only the keeper to beat and a consolation goal. The said goalie had fouled me in the same position in the first half but stayed on the pitch (ironic eh Arsenal fans!) - the subsequent freekick struck the crossbar which would have levelled the scores - ah, funny old game ...

The evening was hosted by Bob (near-post) Wilson and it was great to be there, great fun and a shame that there were only a smattering of supporters not 38,000 to witness it !!

Convergence (starts with blood, sweat and tears?)

Hi Blog-fans

Sorry I have been away sooooooo long - about a month - I'm bad, I know. Hope to get back into the groove. Want to share this though…..

Sometimes need time away on my own though. Sometimes thoughts too random too blog. Sometimes stuff too confused in my mind to articulate. Sometimes nothing to say. Sometimes my stuff seems too intimate to share - even with you! Would leave me too vulnerable.

Travelled 500 miles this weekend. Saturday in Sheffield for a youth house party planning day. Wakefield overnight - dinner with my birth-mum and lovely walks at Cannon Hall and around a lake Sunday morning. Drove through a village called Haigh! Good to see her and catch up; to coach her in the delicacies of Thai food and also to meet again my half-brother and his wife. Don't feel entirely connected to 'mum' but our friendship is growing and heading in the right direction I think - making memories is right! ;o)

From there to Nottingham to see friends of 25 years and their grown up (nearly) children. Wonderful to see how the kids are 'turning' out with plans, dreams, gap-year intentions, exam concerns, Uni places, long hair, grunting, smells and smiles. I hope I am as special to them as they are to me, but probably not!! I can live with that. Time when they sat with me and we read a story are long gone - if they chose to sit on me now I could do little about it!!

Alistair and Julie themselves still set the world alight in their own understated way (apart from being fab parents).

Viewed Julie's art and loved it. Daring. Personal. Layered. Revealing. Challenging. Just beginning….

It reminded me that there is a stage in life called Convergence when our talents, gifts, passions, efforts all come together and we find ourselves starting to do what we were always meant to do. This is not to deny the earlier periods of learning and output, but felt a privilege to see Julie at this stage, assuming I am right, but no doubt the best is to come…

I am looking forward to that day for myself, though wonder whether we ever stop stretching?

Similarly, Alistair is taking a PHD in Leadership, which I find inspiring, especially to hear that a man as bright and experienced in his field as he is still reviewing his thinking and application in order to grow.

A lowlight was watching one of the worst (but therefore funniest) sci-fi films ever - A0N FLUX - rented by the 'kids'! The film starts with the premise that in 400 years time the man running the planet is called Trevor - belief was suspended from there on and I never quite recovered !!

From Nottingham drove to Oxford to collect Ned - lovely to see him after a long weekend and home late last night. Good news on the door step - passed my diploma in Leadership and Theology - two and a half years of blood, sweat and tears and doing just enough to get through !!! Haven't passed much in my life - I prefer to 'do' - so delighted.

If ok with you, I will do is post some news retrospectively to fill you in and give me some time to remember what I've been doing !!

Thanks for reading. Love ya, Dan x