Wake Me Up In Nashville

So this Blog needs a video to show you the story. Wake Me Up In Nashville - Sam Palladio

This is an actor from one of my FAVOURITE TV shows EVER! ABC's 'Nashville'. It's fantastic and you should check it out!

This is Sam Palladio singing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. At the beggining, Sam talks of his grandfather Owain and how he was training for WW2 in Florida. There, he came across this woman from Nashville. They dated and fell for each other, but it couldn't last as he was on his way to fight. But he promised her that he'd give her one last goodbye. So, on the night train from Pensicola Florida, to Canada, he told the train conductor to 'Wake me up in Nashville'....

It got to 4am and the train conductor comes in...

"I'm afraid sir, its 4am, we've passed Nashville. I forgot to wake you up. I'm so sorry". 

So, he went to war without saying Goodbye to his girlfriend. Now, obviously all was not lost, year's later we were blessed with the creative soul that is Sam Palladio. But somewhere out there is a lady who's probably eternally upset that Owain Palladio never said goodbye. 

It just reminds us, that people come into our lives for different periods of time... sometimes fleeting, sometimes for a long time... Yet sometimes they touch us more than we thought and we also need to remember that we're valued by others, even if sometimes it doesn't seem like it. People care about YOU. Even if they're not always there... perhaps they damn sure tried their hardest to be there but something just got in the way... Give them the benefit of the doubt. Like Owain Palladio, he tried... and that's a story that will be with him forever, it meant so much to him that he told his grandson. It touched his grandson so much, he wrote a song...

Next time you get annoyed when you told someone something in confidence about a struggle you were dealing with and they told someone else... perhaps they were worried... no it doesn't make it right... but perhaps they want the best for you and know the person they told could help you better than they can.

Next time someone says "I'm running late, sorry" consider maybe that actually, being late is better than not being there at all...

Next time you feel alone, just think of all the people you speak to, all the people who like your photo's, all the people who ask how you are... 

Think about the guy you haven't spoken to for a while because you think they're a little 'weird'... they do care. 

Kisses J 

xx

"What if I was an angel and this was a test"

Sorry for my absence! I've been holidaying in Los Angeles! And I've been doing a lot of thinking whilst out there. It's a completely different city, compared to London and compared to small town St Neots. Out there are tonnes of people trying to make it big in the City of Angels. They want to live, dream, love in Hollywood. But it's not that easy. With so many people chasing the same dream and only a few 'dreams' available... it ends with numerous homeless littering the sparkled streets. With cardboard signs and boxes to sleep on, rags to dress in and a shaggy dog for company, they do what they can to receive your generosity in the form of money. In my time there I saw signs saying 'Please give food, I'm hungry', 'Need food, work soon'. There's also the one's who just ask for money, in return they help tourists understand the metro ticketing system, which is more complex than it needs to be! But one sign I saw that stood out amongst the rest, (aside from the fact it was the biggest sign I'd seen)

"What if I was an Angel and this was a test". 

Well, what if it was... What if you had to give money to a homeless person, in order to get into 'Heaven'. Now I say it like that because I'm not religious. I have no qualms with people who are, but personally I don't believe. However, this person had a good point. Some people do believe and this could be the sentence that makes them dig into their pockets and help someone out. But then on the other hand, why don't people give to the homeless. Is it because we assume that their homelessness is their own fault, sometimes due to drugs and alcohol? Isn't that a bit shallow... Perhaps it could be because in their selflessness, they decided their wife and kids needed the family home more than them... Perhaps they spunked all their money on chasing their dream, hoping one day they'll make it big enough to pay back the debt they caused, hiring studio time and recording team so they can make that EP that they can sell on for $5 on the street. Perhaps, after his ex took all his money out of the joint account, and rent inflation, maybe that months pay just didn't cover it. We don't know everyone's story... We're never going to know everyone's story. But what we can do, is just try not to judge... Don't judge the people on the streets, begging for money to get by, when you're walking past with your designer handbag - you're fortunate, don't forget that. Don't judge the girl at work who goes out drinking every weekend - Have you asked if she's okay? Don't judge the person who's working 2 jobs - They might be trying to achieve a dream or keep themselves out of a hole.

There are two sides to every story.
Listen,
Learn,
Love.

"What if I was an Angel and this was a test?"
Religious or not, you can change the path you're on.

Kisses J xx

2015 - People numbers 24 and 25

"That Friday Feeling"

So it was a Friday night and me and my best friend had decided to have a liquid lunch, and go to the cinema and then in turn ended out in a little drinking session in our local bar. As always, the bar was busy... and seats were limited, we sat opposite 2 girls and they started chatting to us! 

These were the sort of girls with an 'alternative style'. I thought this was pretty cool, with her red lipstick, contrasting against her dark hair and piercings. Turns out, the girls were up from London, where they studied. One of the girls was from St Neots, until she left for Uni. 

"It's strange being back here. I see people I went to school with and they don't recognise me. They give me funny looks, which could be to do with the way I dress. You don't get that in London. We can walk into our local bars and no-one will bat an eyelid. We'll go there and we know the bouncers and we just chat to everyone. Everyone here seems like they're in their own world and you can't intrude. We saw you guys though and thought you two seemed nice, so we thought we'd say hi"

"There's not many good looking men here either. In London, there's so many bearded men! Beards aren't really popular here are they?"

Then the girl from London and my best friend got talking about Lipstick... I left them to it. But it did make me think about the difference between big cities and small towns. I've noticed it in Los Angeles and New York too. Perhaps its because there is so many people there that there's half the chance that you don't know the person next to you on the bus, compare that to small towns whereby there's half a chance you're related to the person on the bus! 

But yes, a good night was had by all and the girls wished us a good evening and left to dance. We caught them later chatting to some blokes! (Ironically enough, without beards... perhaps they'd lowered their face fuzz standards...)

Kisses J xx 

2015 - Person Number 23

"Mr Talkative"

So if you actually read my last blog post, then you'll remember a guy I overheard claiming to try and guess where everyone worked? Not ringing a bell? You're a bad follower! Well, he was back and again he tried guessing what course another customer was on. Safe to say he got it wrong this time as he hadn't done his prior research like the last time.... (Don't know who I'm on about? Read the last blog dammnit!)
Well he was back and he was now chatting away to the customer he'd incorrectly guessed. Later on after about 4 pints of Carlsberg, he approached the bar again and we got talking about age and he noticed we had a Wham/George Michael tribute coming up. He then told us a story of when George crashed his car into a store and someone wrote the word 'Wham' next to the crash site in graffiti. I laughed because, I understood the joke, but my younger collegue didn't quite get it. (Wham used to be George Michael's first band. Wham could also be used as a crash term - for anyone else a bit clueless)
"MR Talkative" then said he felt really old at the fact my collegue didn't understand it. This then lead onto the conversation about age and music.
"I felt really old the other day as well. I had two 19 year olds in my class. Basically I'm 26, but I haven't always been in IT teaching. I used to work for a company that promoted big artists. I've been part of the crew that helped promote some of the biggest artists in the world! This one time I was working on Beyonce's tour and another time it was for Usher. So pretty big names and I was discussing it with my class and the two 19 year old's asked me who Usher was.."
"That's awesome! I know how you feel with age gaps and stuff, I speak to people about Waynes World and they don't get it!"
"I actually turned round to him and called him uneducated! Even if you don't know Usher in his 'Yeah' days... he's got stuff out now that kids should know right?!"
"So how comes you left that job then? It sounds amazing!"
"It's always better than it sounds. You'd spend 15 months working your arse off in an office, for about 4 nights of fun.. But the final straw came when i went Self employed. It was shortly after I'd won 'Youngest Event Planner of the Year' so I was pretty happy.. But this one event just flopped. I took the crew out for a Macdonalds after a show and after all that I ended out £10 worse off... this was before salaries and everything. It was just one of those jobs that could either go really well or not so well. I didn't want the risk. But I had the time of my life and I wouldn't change it."


Until Next time!
Kisses J xx

2015 - People overheard

Sometimes getting to know people all stems from overhearing their conversations with others. Now I don't mean holding your ear to the door and purposefully listening in... I mean the occasions where you accidently hear snippets of their chats. I work in a hotel restaurant and bar and so I hear varied conversations on a daily basis.
Our hotel holds conferences and serviced offices holding very important people. Some days I'll hear about world events and other times ill hear a group of policewomen spending two hours discussing their cats. I've heard motor groups saying how where you sit at a table correlates with the kind of person you are... apparently independent people tend to leave spaces in between others and if the space is to the left then it shows you like the power... like in driving a right hand drive. A lot of the conversations I hear are about their sleep and how comfortable our beds are!
Last night however, on the bar I heard a customer approach another customer and ask if he can guess what sort of industry they worked in.. He guessed she worked in 'hospitality or travel'. She was impressed as she works for a massive worldwide travel operator! He then smiled and said 'I cheated, I spoke to one of your collegues earlier!'. Then they split off and started talking to each other. It really is that simple to get talking to someone... and yet sometimes people still struggle. Listening in to people conversations makes me realise that a conversation doesn't always have to be exciting about some crazy adventure... It can literally just be about... cats!

Kisses xx

2015 - Person Number 22

"Conversations with strangers"

Now this is pretty much what my blog was all about in the first place, getting to know people and making the world that little bit smaller. Much like my first post, I didn't actually interview these people, yet we made a small difference to their day. That's what its all about isn't it... I work in hospitality, that's totally customer based and it's my job to make people smile and ensure they have a good time. In all reality, I'm a waitress/barmaid, some may find that boring but personally I enjoy it. I love making a difference to people's experience in the restaurant. Here's how I made some customers smile today!

I approached the table and started clearing their plates, they're regularly in the restaurant and so I feel comfortable around them. One of them was looking at their phone, complaining about spam emails from Louis Vitton handbags... I'll explain here that he's a male customer. His colleague next to him made a joke asking if he's sure he doesn't want a Louis Vitton Handbag... I chimed in with "But it would suit you" and the table erupted with laughter. As subtly as I came in, I left... Walking past their table a few moments later, they're still laughing about it. Later on, I was in the other room, clearing up after lunch service and a member of the group approached me and told me that "he's ordered a pink handbag with white spots". He then proceeded to talk to my supervisor about how my comic timing was impeccable! So yeah, although I didn't think it was that fantastic, it obviously made them smile. This is important to me, sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference to someone's day. It made me so happy to know that I'd made someone laugh. 

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day" - H Jackson Brown Jr.

Make today the day you make a stranger smile! 

Kisses, J
xx

2015 - Person Number 21

"Metropolis Madness"
I met a man today and we got chatting about New York and Los Angeles. Having been to both myself, I preferred Los Angeles, I found more to do, the weather was better and you've got Santa Monica beach! I love a good Beach!
This guy, had also been to both. I asked him his preference, this is what he said.
"Which City is your favourite and why?"
"I love London. I've lived a lot of places and yet I loved living in London the best. I just get this feeling when I go there. Its a kind of excitement that I never got living in the smaller towns. My wife's from the local area, so we moved back up here, but I do miss city life. I love it and when I went to New York, I got the same feeling, but stronger. I think it's because when you're in New York, you're still a 'foreigner'. People come up to you and they're like 'OMG You're English'. There's a fascination with that. Also because it's not your home country, everything is still new. It's all a new adventure with new things to learn." 
"I'm most definitely a home bird. I love England and my small town I live in. I don't think I could live somewhere that's hot all the time. Personally, I love the snow, the rain, the sun, the change!"
"My wife said that too. I don't get it, why would you WANT seasons?"

Kisses, J 
xx

2015 - People numbers 18, 19, 20

"Music To Our Ears"

So this time I posted on Facebook a question with regards to music and it's memories that we connect to it. At various points in our lives we all have a song or a few songs that relate to a certain memory of ours, all be it good memory or a not so great memory. I know that I have a song that reminds me of when me and my other half got together (Ed Sheeran - Where we land). The relationship was new and we were taking it slow, seeing 'where we landed' so to speak! It's now progressed to Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud! (Ed's one of the few musicians we agree on with my partners strong routes in hip hop and mine being in Rock and country!) I also recall that time I was singing in Cambridge Mill Road Winter Festival and the look on my teacher's face when I sung "Read All About It Part 2: Emile Sande". That made me happy, he was proud of me and that meant the world to me! 

So we all have 'our songs'. I asked the world of Facebook what their song-related-memory was: 

"What's everyone's song related memory? We all like songs for different reasons, some remind us of good times, some of bad times. What song reminds you of when?"

"Aerosmith: Don't want to miss a thing. Reminds me of my husband as it was our first dance song at our wedding"

"Ol Dirty Bastard reminds me of when I first met your mum and dad and Jason and we danced to it in a nightclub"

"Living On A Prayer and One Wild Night: Bon Jovi, reminds me of when you and me and your mum used to belt it out on Karaoke"

So here are just 3 people who have song related memories. This shows that songs have a strong connection to memories that we retain. 

Kisses J xx

2015 - Person Number Seventeen

"Off to a Flying Start"
So this person spent 3 years studying Travel and Tourism, with aspirations to be cabin crew on board a plane. This was all going off to a great start until one holiday something traumatic happened. Now she's been put off for life and only fly's when she has to.
"Typical, my plane was the one with the crash landing! The wheels wouldn't come down. We made an attempt to land but couldn't. The climb back up wasn't gradual like normal, I can only describe it as: Stealth at Thorpe Park. You ever been on it? It was like that, straight up. That's when we knew something was up. We had to circle for 3 hours whilst waiting to see if we could emergency land at the airport where we were supposed to or if we had to be diverted. In the end we were diverted. It was terrifying though, during the many attempts to land, people around me were crying, the air steward was crying. People were calling family and friends saying 'Goodbye'. Some guy next to me, a stranger was holding my hand saying 'it will be okay' but when the stewardess started crying, I was like, great now we're definitely doomed!"
"Where were you going, what happened in the end? Obviously you're okay?"
"That's the worst part, it wasn't even a long flight, it was London To Dublin. Had to be diverted to Belfast and they supplied a coach took us to Dublin. Belfast had all the emergency services there and when we landed we got to go down the slide, but it was flat because the plane was on the ground. I've been on a plane since but I just couldn't do it as a career."

Kisses xx 

2015 - Person Number Sixteen

"Card shop crazy"
So the other day me and my best mate went shopping. We got the bus and I've discovered that people tend to talk to you at the bus stop... whether it's just to pass the time, there seems to be an openness to bus commuters. It could be just some older commuters on the way to town to buy some veg from the market or some younger commuters en route from work with their fold up cycle! But this isn't how I met number 16. He spoke to us in the card shop and enlightened us into his journey last year. 
"I walked to Wales last year" he told us, irrelevant of the conversation. "I walked from Ely to Wales. I left around 9am on the Friday and two weeks later around 3pm I was at the top of Mount snowden".
My friend asked the question we were both thinking 'did you walk back?'
"No, of course not! I think I even got the train down from the top of snowden to the bottom" he laughed.
I believe the intention of him telling us this anecdote was to prove that no matter how old you are, you can still achieve whatever you want. So yeah! Good on you you Crazy Card Shop man!
I'm off to the shop in my car! ;)

Kisses J xx

2015 I'm back! Person Number 15

27 - 01 - 2015
"The ageless face"

So the person I met here, I didn't do in normal style... I just got chatting to them. Recently she had ventured to Nottingham for a night out. Now this girl is only 17 and uses a fake ID to get into clubs... Let's be honest, the majority of us have done that at some point! "The ageless face" told me she does feel nervous sometimes when the bouncers are checking her fake ID and glancing between her face and the card. But then she explains that it's all about confidence and making a joke to somewhat distract the bouncer.

Now this conversation got me thinking... why do we do it... why are we in such a rush to get older... I'm 21 and really cannot see the fascination in it! But I can see the appeal of doing something we're not allowed to do. It's tempting isn't it... When someone is told to not go in a certain cupboard or not to touch a button... you want to do it... Something as simple as christmas or birthday presents being hidden but you still have an innate desire to find them! Thats what drives the excitement through our veins. The illusion that being told we're not allowed out til we're 18... and wondering why it's only for the adults... Of course, you get there... realise hangovers are a horrible repercussion... But you still live for the buzz.. the buzz that you might be caught out by a bouncer at some point... Until then you enjoy the thrill and the win that comes with the nod of a 6ft something giant that is your permission to enter the club.

Kisses xx

2015 - Number Fourteen

14 - 01 - 2015

Okay, so I'm going to be honest! I've not actually been able to keep up with this very well... I've learned that the world is actually an independent place and rather unsociable at times! However! I shall be keeping this blog and still getting to know as many people as possible! But I will be bringing it down to 'as many people as possible' as opposed to 'a person a day'. 

Person number 14:

"The Hopeless Romantic"

This guy has been through a lot in 2014. A relationship split and yet he has a contract with the housing company that means he still has to live with his ex! I asked him if, after all that he's been through if there is anything he wants to put out into the universe?

"Don't let anyone devalue your self worth. My ex used to put me down and belittle me all the time, yet when you're in a relationship, you don't notice it. Love really is blind and you let them get away with so much because you're just blind to it. Once you've seen how much you are worth don't let anyone and i mean anyone tell you otherwise! Go for someone who treats you how you deserve to be treated. I've learned to not fall so hard next time, take it slow and don't rush into things".

Kisses J xx

Speak soon! 

2015 - Person Number Thirteen

13 - 01 - 2015
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn Kind Of Guy"

So I met this guy online, we have similar music tastes and he mentioned he was in a band. I thought I'd find out more.

"So tell me more about your band?"

"We're called Steel Rockers and my role is Lead vocals and rhythm guitar. I write songs and we play at a bunch of venues"

"Cover Band or originals?"

"Mostly our own songs but we occasionally do cover songs"

"Whats the most difficult about songwriting?"

"Finding inspiration. I want people to be able to relate to it, not just something they see in a fairytale"

"Do you find yourself writing about situations you've been in?"

"Yes. In our band each band member writes songs that they choose, like 2 of them write hard rock songs, one writes those 80's rock songs and I write power ballads mostly. I find it easier but again I don't want to always be saying my life story to everyone. 

"As a writer I find myself getting too involved or sidetracked..."

"I get sidetracked too. I have this fear of being lonely and everytime I play with my band I put on makeup and go out and play. I hide that lonely guy. I go around girl from girl but I've never told anyone how lonely I get. I can sometimes sit writing a song and get depressed knowing I don't have someone by my side to help me out. So it sidetracks me all the time from writing." 

Thanks for your honesty. Keep Rocking and Rolling!
Kisses J xx

2015 - Person Number Twelve

12 - 01 - 2015
"The Master"

This guy has studied Karate and various different forms of martial arts throughout his life. He then went on to find his calling in Karate.

"What got you into Karate?"

"I started out doing Brazilian Jui Jitzu and Shotokan Karate, Shito-Ryu Karate and American Freestyle Karate I didn't get belt ranks. But I trained at Hickory Academy of Martial Arts. That's where I began. I continued American Ching Sai Do at Mountain View Karate Centre, that's Tae Kwon Do, small circle jiujitzu and shaolin goju. Then I wanted to get more focuses in standing and got into Kyokushinkai two years ago." 

"What do I love about it and what inspired me?"

"Well that was my mum. She done Kyokushinakai karate. She thought it would be good for me. And I loved Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan and Jean Claude Van Damme videos and them moves and watching UFC and Bully Beat Down. And I took up Jiu Jitzu and Karate followed."

"Could you imagine life without Martial arts?"

"No, I honestly couldn't. I love martial arts and it's made me so much more respectful and disciplined. And I love working with others"

Kisses xx J 

2015 - Person Number Eleven

11 - 01 - 2015
"Spaceman"

This guy studied Aeronautics at University and now works for a large spacey company dealing with scientific explorations of space.

Here's what he had to say when asked how he got into Space and Aeronautics.

"How old were you when you figured you wanted to play with stars?"

"I've always been interested. I've got Buzz Aldrin, George Lucas and Star Wars to thank for that, but aeroplanes were my thing for years but when I went to university, I thought I would bring both together. Once I started studying Astronautics I became really, seriously interested in it"

"So, why planes?"

"I don't know. I guess it was because I grew up with stories about WW2. Especially Douglas Bader as he opened the burns unit I was in (he was a spitfire pilot). I don't remember a time that I didn't love the spitfire."

"What's the best part of your job?"

"Money..."

"And the worst?"

"Sitting at the desk staring at numbers."

"Where do you see yourself in the industry in 5 years?"

"Thats a job interview question! I dunno but it would be cool to work on a launch system..."

"And finally... how many times have you heard/used the term... 'It's not rocket science...?"
"More often at uni. The novelty wears off pretty quickly. Most people I meet don't believe I work in this field. I guess I must look stupid. When I'm chatting to girls, they either don't believe me or I get the Shania Twain 'That don't impress me much'! So these days I just tell people I put the small cut on the 'tear here' line on sauce sachets. People believe that. 28k in student loan and I'm reduced to that!"

Well, here's to you "Spaceman" To Infinity and Beyond! ;)
Kisses J xx 

2015 - Person Number Ten

10 - 01 - 2015
"The Traveller"

This guy was in one of my favourite pubs, working behind the bar. He was cheerful and pleasant. I asked him for an interesting fact about himself.

Turns out he went to school with Ian Poulter, a famous British Golfer. He went to school with him in Stevenage and then moved to Southampton. Currently training in St Neots, he has travelled far but as he said 'it's all part of the job'.

I'm sure he's got some interesting stories coming from the bar!

A short one today, but I couldn't exactly distract him from his training!

Kisses x

George Ezra

George Ezra

So that kid who sings 'Budapest' made an interesting point. He was on a short video of the 'behind the scenes of Budapest' and in this interview video he says about when he was working in a bar...

"First job I ever got was in a pub. But it was the best opportunity I had to start eavesdropping. And that's where a lot of my album came from, a lot of what I do is earwigging on other peoples conversations. Like if I'm working on the bar and you come to the bar I can just catch one bit of your conversation and I get to decide what came before that and what comes after. That way I've got a story that I've penned but you've started the inspiration"

2015 - Person Number Nine

09 - 01 - 2015
"Quietly Confident"
This girl sits opposite me in the pub we're sitting in. She's laughing and joking with me and a fellow co-worker of ours. I work with her, so I know her pretty well, but as I've said before, everyone has a story before and after you came along. This is her story:
"What's your greatest achievement?"
"Well after college I went to a place called NCS. It's called National Citizen Service and its full of team building activities like rock climbing, leap of faith and other stuff. My confidence was really really low after bullying I received in school (she indicates to scars on her arm). We were the first group in Bedfordshire to go. It was in Wales and then afterwards we went to Shuttleworth house for some final team building activities. This time it was to raise money for a charity. I was in charge of my group and we raised over £1000 for a homeless shelter in Bedford"
"So do you think this helped you gain confidence? I mean looking at you now I can't really imagine you quiet!"
"I was really really quiet, my confidence was at such a low I wouldn't talk to anyone. The charity thing helped a lot because you'd have to tell people what you were doing and try and get donations. You'd be on the street talking to strangers. I'm fine now and I think NCS definitely helped"
"Was NCS a camp specifically for people with low confidence or just a general fun camp?"
"People came into College and gave us all an application form. I filled it in but was too scared to hand it in. My dad found it and told me I should go and that it would help. I'm glad I went. I met two of my Best Friends there."

Here's to you "Quietly Confident". Best of luck in the future in whatever you do! You've come so far and you're amazing! :)

Kisses J xx

2015 - Person number Seven

07 - 01 - 2015
"The New Girl"
This girl I met, is Polish. She's been in England 3 years now. A friendly face with a pretty smile, her English is great! I asked her more about her moving to this country.
"What made you decide on England?"
"My boyfriend wanted to move here, so I came with him"
"How long have you been here?"
"3 years, sorry my English is so bad"
"No, no, It's good! Did you know much English when you came here?"
"Nope. I learnt some at school but you know what it's like learning a different language at school and what they teach you."
"Yeah! You learn numbers and 'hello' but not really much else that will help you in actual conversation"
   "Exactly! At first it was okay, I worked in Spa with other Polish girls, and I could speak Polish. That's why I wanted to move to restaurant because I'd have to speak to you, to customers, to chefs..."

"When I was in Poland, my dad wanted to pay for everything. My car, my phone. Anything I wanted I got. I tried giving him money towards house but he wouldn't take it. Saying whilst I live here I don't have to pay. I didn't want to be that girl"

So there you go, a short but sweet conversation with a short but sweet girl. Her English is better than she thinks and I hope that she doesn't plan on leaving us anytime soon, England needs some friendly people!

Kisses, J xx

2015 - Person number Six

06 - 01 - 2015
"The Escape Artist"
This person has a fascinating, but terrifying story. From Leeds, she moved down south to St Neots. I asked her why she moved and she told me a story of the horrible things she had to endure in Leeds. "The Escape Artist" left her family and seeked refuge down south. Here's her story when asked:
"Why did you leave Leeds?"
"Leeds is an amazing city, it's great for shopping, and nightlife. But it's full of crime. My house was burgled on 4 different occasions and it was the final time that I thought 'this is the final straw'.  Basically, I was on a night out and her son was staying at a friends. I came home to find my house ruined, they'd thrown my son's bed to the other side of the room! Also my next door neighbours house, they tried to set fire to theirs. If me and my son had been at home, we wouldn't be here today. That was the final straw, I had to get out, so a friend from here said 'I'm selling my house, do you want my current one? and here I am."

Sounds terrifying! I also asked her if anything else had happened. Here she tells a story of being confronted by a shirtless man with a machete.
"I'd lost my other half, we'd both gone out separately and arranged to meet in a certain club at the end of the night. Well I couldn't find him so I wandered around and I found some steps to sit on. I sat there rolling a fag and I was approached by a shirtless man, bearing in mind it's winter! He's swinging this machete around and screaming 'some white bitch has nicked my money', now I'm the only white girl in the place, so I'm feeling pretty scared for my life right now. After hitting me and smashing my head against the wall, the two men start talking. They're talking about how much money I could make them, obviously planning on selling my body. I've never been so scared in my life, I managed to escape through the door, if not who knows what could have happened."

So this person's evidently been through a lot but she's here with us now!
I'm gonna stay away from Leeds.

Kisses xx J

2015 - Person Number Eight

08-01-2015
"Ray7 and ducttapegirl"
So with this one, I went on the Internet to meet someone... I tried numerous chatrooms which of course, conversations ended abruptly as I wasn't sitting on the other end with my boobs out... Apparently this is what Internet chatrooms are used for now! Eugh, what happened to the good old days when you could just 'chat'.

But alas, I kept trying different sites and I found a chat with a few people in it but only about 4 having an actual conversation. I said hello and told them of my venture, they thought this was a great idea and thought I'd do well! That was nice of them, I thought. 

So, I asked "Ray7" more about him, he's a 45 year old (or 7 x 5, that was how he put it) who lives in Dubai. He was born there, but isn't an Arab. Our conversation was interrupted by two other conversations going on at the same time, so I tried to involve the others too! I asked him for an interesting fact about him, he replied with "Is watching Dangermouse an interesting fact?". I said no... but actually Dangermouse is pretty cool! Just goes to show how other people perceive 'interesting'! 

Another girl in the conversation was 'ducttapegirl'. She was rather more interesting.  A young woman teaching English in China. What a find!! I asked her what made her decide to move, after all, it's a HUGE move. She said 'there was nothing at home for me anymore and it's what I've always wanted to do'. I admired that. A stranger I've never met and yet I admire her! Ducttapegirl then told me about her colleague, another teacher who's aim was to remain in China for 8 years and then catch a boat and sail back to Spain. That's an adventure!

She described the difference in her street in China and her street back home in America..
"last night i was walking down a small street on my way home....i passed by a pet store with cages of birds.....a pink room (lady of the evening), a business where they make these steel parts for something....and old boiler room, 3 hair salons......a classy looking coffee shop, a woman brushing her teeth in the street, a woman washing clothes in the dark on the street and much more...all in one block"

2015 - Person Number Five

05-01-2015
"Little Miss Sparkles"
So, person number Five, is someone new! They work with my boyfriend in a local pub and so I've said 'Hello' a few times and shared pleasantries, but other than that not really had a conversation with her. My boyfriend has told me she's into Performing arts and in that respect me and her should get along like a house on fire with my roots in Performance too! So I thought I'd give it a go! I had her on Facebook, (now this may seem like I'm cheating, but actually think about it... I have 300+ 'friends' and yet I only speak to the people I actually talk to in real life, which wittles it down to about 6 people... So much for SOCIAL media..)

But I started a conversation with "Little Miss Sparkles" and as expected, we did get along! We were talking about Acting, Dancing and Singing and shows we'd been in and everything dramary... I then told her my 365 people aim and she was more than happy to get on board. Now being of the performance nature, I thought it would be just plain wrong to NOT ask her a question relating to Performance, so I asked her this:

"So in all your shows (produced, self devised) which one has had the greatest impact on yourself or your life?"
"Alice In Wonderland that I did with Touring Big Top Company 2013. I had a role written for me from scratch and I took it and made it a mixture of me and people I've met through my life. I took on strong women I know; my mum, my auntie and my cousin and threw in some of my wit and attitude and 'Sparkles' was created!"

"So you enjoyed the fact you were a part of the creation and you could make it entirely your own?"
"Yeah. I bought it up from nothing and I'm so proud of it. If I had to do it again, I would in a heartbeat."

Now "Little Miss Sparkles" is still taking part in shows and she loves it! Maybe one day we'll see her on the West End, reprising her role as 'Sparkles' but until then, she's more than happy to make a big noise in St Neots! For that, we're grateful!

Keep shining,
Kisses J xx 

2015 - Person Number Four

04-01-2015
"Miss Brown"
A teacher in a primary school. She followed her dreams for this career for ages. Even in reception herself she would play schools with her classmates. Well she made it after University. Here she is now a Reception teacher in a local school. She loves it. So I got talking to her about her career and what's the best part of her chosen career. What we can learn from "Miss Brown" is that hard work and effort pay off in the end! You want that career, you go get it!

I asked her:
"What is the best part of your career?"
"Seeing the progress that children make and watching how they learn to read, write, count! And the smiles on their faces as well as the hilarious things they come out with. Like when I asked if they knew what a carpenter did and they said 'clean carpets'." 

"What is the worst part/not so great part of your job?"
"The amount of stress at times and the paperwork! And just not having enough hours in the day!"

"The good outweighs the bad though?, Would you consider other year groups?"
"Without a doubt, I wouldn't want to do anything else!"

"Would you consider teaching other year groups?""Yeah but mainly infant. So Reception-Year2 maybe when I'm more experienced in teaching but right now I'm happy where I am!"

Well, here's to you "Miss Brown"! I'm sure the kids adore you and you're making such a difference to their lives! Don't stop following your dreams! Keep up the good work! A* for effort!

Kisses J xx

The In To My Sanity

Okay, So I feel I should explain what I'm doing with this blog.

I'm going to aim to 'get to know' 365 people in 2015. That equates to a person a day for a year. Now I've started this New Years Day 2015, and here's why.

Basically, I've come to realised that everyone, everywhere has a story to tell, and as an aspiring writer... I love a good story! I was sitting in traffic in my car the other day and I was glancing around as you do, pedestrians were walking to shops, some were running and I didn't have a clue where they were going or why. Now that was quite fun, it meant I could create their stories and make up plans for them in my head. But what if I did know their stories? What if I asked them?
On the internet today there are a few blogs/websites known as "Humans of *Insert city name...". They have London, New York and other such things. This is where someone goes round photographing people and hearing their stories. This fascinated me as a writer and as I was approaching the age of 22, I wanted to do something with my life... I wanted to achieve something. I had started numerous projects but not completed them, so hopefully this will be the start of many completed projects.
I also got to thinking about the people we do 'know'. How well do we actually 'know' them? We meet them at a point in our lives and sometimes we don't even bother with the past, we just leave it alone. So that girl from work that you can have a 3 hour conversation with about 'Eastenders', do you know her middle name? Where was she born? What's been her greatest achievement so far? We don't tend to ask these questions.

So here's me. Just little old me, getting to know 365 people.

And here's you! My reader, following my journey to bring the world that little bit closer together!

Kisses J xx

2015 - 365 people - Person Number Three

03-01-2015
"The Realistic Dreamer"
So today, I was talking to my close friend. I've known her for years, I could pick out christmas presents for her with my eyes closed, I could order her a drink from the bar without asking her, and I could tell you what happened on that Thursday night that we'll try not to mention again! But how did she get here, how did she become the girl I know and love... I delved in further to find out.

"What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?"
"All sorts of things; teacher, nurse, popstar, zookeeper. The world was my damn oyster! One thing I did get really serious about was, I wanted to be a 'monkey/primate expert'..." she laughs. "My mum would buy me loads of toys and books about them"."Then when I got a bit older and more realistic, I wanted to be a midwife or nursery nurse. So I did a childcare course at college which included a placement working with toddlers and I discovered I hated children!".

Honest!

"Would you ever consider midwifery again?"
"I think so yeah. But I think more to be there for the mums and give them support more than the babies. I don't think I'd be a very good one though. You need to be nice and supportive and loving, my idea of being supportive and loving is to give people a good kick up the ass and tell them to man the fuck up" 

Bless her, this girl's been through a hell of a lot and yet she's come so far! She's excelling in her retail job and as long as you don't bring kids into the store, she's pleasant and lovely!

Here's to you "Realistic Dreamer" Happy 2015!

Kisses J xx

2015 - 365 people - Person Number Two

02-01-2015
'A Pieces Of The World Kind Of Guy'.

This guy added me on Facebook during 2014, we've got friends in common and he's a nice guy. He's currently rebuilding his kitchen and photos of his achievements appear on my news feed occasionally. Good old "Pieces Of The World Kind Of Guy" did manage to start a small fire in his kitchen this evening...
He started tonight's conversation asking me why I was in on a Friday night! This is when I decided he could be person number two or 'Pieces Of The World Kind Of Guy'. I explained to him my plan and he said it was a pretty good idea. I asked my "Pieces Of The World Kind Of Guy":

"IF money was no object, what would you do?" 

"This won't sound real - I'd love to be building schools and houses in Africa. It might seem a little self indulgent but I don't take pleasure in many things, I'm not that optimistic a person. But genuinely helping others makes me happy in any capacity"

I hope "Pieces Of The World" gets a chance to even get that one brick closer!

It's answers like this that make me excited for the remaining 363 people!

Kisses, J xx

2015 - 365 people! Person number one

01-01-2015

Basically I'm going to spend this year 'meeting' new people. I'm going to either meet someone completely new or I'm going to learn something I perhaps never knew about the people I've already 'met'.
So here's person number one:
MR FORD KA.
Okay, so not a great start, didn't actually meet him... but he made me smile, in a very simple way. HE let me cross the road in front of his car. He then wound his window down and wished me a happy new year. Yes it was little... but it was nice. A nice start to the year! I love little things like that. A well wish from a stranger could be the difference between someone having a bad day to someone having an 'alright' day. And perhaps thats what we need in this world. More randomness, more well wishing, spending less time looking at our phones and speaking to people we already know, take a risk and talk to someone new!

Kisses, J xx

Two Thousand and Fourteen - LOVE

I've learned a hella lot this year. I've had some fantastic experiences, both good and bad; all lifechanging.
As it draws to a close, you revisit the key moments, one key moment was meeting my other half and learning about LOVE and stuff.. This is what this Blog will be about. I claim to be in love... but so does my best friend.

My best friend is beautiful, she's funny, smart, charming, creative and a good person to be around. Yet she surrounds herself with idiots. She turned to me the other day and told me she's in LOVE with her man. Now, I'm not one to tell people how they feel... but this concerned me. He's a twat. He never walks her home, he'll ignore her for days on end and basically only comes round for sex or food. So, nope, Sunny's not a fan! But it also made me think, is LOVE different for everyone? Is my friend actually in LOVE or not... Am I in LOVE or not... I'm going to be honest, I dont have a clue. I'm not her, so I don't know. I don't know how he makes her feel... I think he's a tool but maybe she does LOVE this tool... Maybe she doesn't see his imperfections... but then maybe that's the difference between LOVE and lust. I do see my man's imperfections... But I LOVE him for them. Now I'm in no position to judge whether someone's in LOVE or not but LOVE is something that does fascinate me and it is most definitely played a key part in 2014. Everyone is different and I do hope that someday my friend does find LOVE, because I truly believe I have found it. I LOVE his imperfections, his smile, his attitude, his charm. Everything about him. It's the kind of LOVE that songs are written about.
Now I'd be lying if I claimed it was all sunshine and roses and smiles and laughter. For the majority it is, most definately all smiles and laughter! But it doesn't come without it's trials. That's life. I've made mistakes, specifically this year. Not just little mistakes... great big elephant mistakes! But that elephant in the room is a conversation for another blog... I mean we only just met, right?!
I've been with my man for 4 months. We were seeing each other and getting close before that. Now the other week I said the 'L word'. Risky, as we've only been together for a few months and probably a reason he didn't say it back. But there I was, cuddling him on the sofa, he nuzzles his head to mine (together, we're a bit soft like cats...) And I just quietly whisper "I love you". To be honest, I was just as shocked! It had been on the edge of my lips for a few weeks now and i was only going home to kick myself for not saying it. I had come close to saying it before, but we were in the throws of passion and i didn't think it suitable. But what made me realise that it was love, not lust, not infatuation or just a massive crush was because it was different this time.
I could actually see myself marrying this one. I imagine him as the father of my future kids. Although we hadn't been together long, we'd been through storms that would have wiped out any other couple I know. I'm going to be honest, or else you're gonna get confused. I cheated on him. I kissed another guy whilst I was seeing him. There was no excuse for it and I'm eternally sorry. But we got through it, as a team and we were honest. This is one of the factor's that made us stronger as a couple.
One of the reasons I stopped myself saying the 'Big L' earlier, was a fear of him not believing me. I'd hurt him, but we'd got through it, and we were stronger than ever, so one night I just thought 'fuck it'. Knowing I'd kick myself again if I didn't say it, I went for it. What's the worst that could happen...
I Love You.
'Aww' he replies as he kisses my forehead. Okay, that's the worst that could happen... He's acknowledged it with an 'aww'. Condecending fuckstick. This was on my mind on my way home, so much so I ran a red light... Shit.
But after a few days, we didn't really speak of it. I didn't expect much, hes a man, not really openly emotional... until you get a glasses of wine in him! He then told me how he felt. It was amazing and yes tears were shed... worth it though. He's not used the L word... but he will and when he does it will be fantastic!
So here's to 2015 and the LOVE that shall fill it!


Kisses, J xx