The Answers ( some...not all )

“Mr. Tembo is on his way up the hill

With only this song to tell you how he feels

But to get there he will need a helping hand

It's where he is now but it wasn't what he planned”

-???????Albarn / Russell

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?Last week I said ask me anything, and lots of you wonderful people did. Sometimes as I write these missives and send them out into the Universe I wonder if anyone actually reads them. Clearly you do. Thanks. You don’t know how awesome you are.

Here are some of the questions, and my attempt at answers.

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A.????“Do you believe in God ?”

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Yes. But she doesn’t have a beard, and wears cooler clothes.

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B.????“I would ask how you manage to do it all! But I think a better question would be if you just don't want to write how do you force your self to sit down and do so?”

I think if you examine the ‘all’ that I do, you’ll find that it’s mostly cool fun stuff that you couldn’t?actually stop me doing. Having the deadline of a Friday morning is the greatest inspiration for writing. And , especially , on the days you think you have nothing to say, as soon as you start writing something stirs in the ether and …..

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C.?????“How are you ?”

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Mighty !

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D.????“Just love that wall Paul ! When are you and Ray going to join us on a Tuesday or Thursday evening for a run ?”

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When we can run for 10 minutes without a break.

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E.?????“When are you coming to stay in the camping barn ?”

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I thought we were getting the house and you were staying in the barn ???

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F.?????“Did one of your cats take the photo ?”

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My sexy photographer , AKA Soulmate, took the photo.

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G.????“Also I really don’t know why I felt the need to share this with you but I do feel like through your blogs I have gotten a special insight into you and also feel that you communicate with me even though you don’t realise it and you don’t get much response.?

Thank you for your weekly updates and for sharing your life good and bad. You will find the words and the stories soon.”

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I do realise it, and it is greatly appreciated.

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H.????“Have you ever read The Cremation of Sam Mc Gee by Robert w Service.?“

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I had not, but have now. I love it !

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I.??????“What kind of world would it be if nobody ever made music?”

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???????????????Non-tingly.

J.??????“How do you make time you seem to do so much ?”

Our kids are all at college now, and I have a very understanding Soulmate, so I'm afforded time.?Also working for myself and , thank goodness, not being under immediate financial pressure, means I can wander and wonder at will.

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K.?????“ Are you running the Dublin City Marathon next year ?”

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Yes.

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L.?????“Paul, what do you think is best for our mental health during a particularly difficult life event ? Is it better to venture into the ‘dark place’ sometimes and let our thoughts go there or avoid it at any cost and remain positive ?”

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For me , I saw positives, and light in the dark, so I went there, splashing about in my big boy boots and singing. In my illness I just saw all of these wonderful people working to help me, so I didn’t feel unlucky at all. In other cases, where I’ve been troubled, I’ve found that the issue, or cause of the issue, always ends up being confronted at some point, so I prefer to venture into it immediately…with a rope tied around my waist so I can find my way back. And TALKING is always the best.

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M.???“My question is three fold what’s your favourite book? what is the book you have?most???????????????recommended?to people? and if there is a difference why?”

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My favourite book is always the next one of the books I've read , the recent The Quincunx ??made a decent impression and kept me up reading...which hasn't happened in a long time. The book I've bought and gifted most often is Jonathan Livingston Seagull because it as the meaning of everything but in a form anyone can read.

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N.????“Questions? Do you believe in an interventionist God? How important were The Clash?”

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"There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hue them how we will." Not sure he has a beard though. And I don't mean predestination, I just feel that there is ' something else' and we don't end with this life. My older teenage neighbours , Denise & Kitty Turley, introduced me to The Kinks, The Human League, and The Clash. I think that The Clash are incredibly underrated. And Mick Jone's follow on band Big Audio Dynamite were also a favourite of mine, and again terribly underrated.

M. ????????“But can this ‘God’ intervene?”

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???????????Certainly fucking hope so !

Toodles,

Paul

P.S My longsuffering Soulmate is doing ’12 Dips In December’ for the Irish Heart Foundation. If you find ?the odd shekel down the back of the sofa over the weekend perhaps you could help her towards her goal.