Blog 1: Introduction

Date: 29/8/2012

Song listening to at the start of this blog: Lava Twilight by Inme.

Just over a year ago I had the proudest moment of my life. My was given the honour of giving the best man speech at one of my best friends weddings. I took this job extremely seriously as I did not want to let him down by delivering a terrible speech, plus I didn't want to look stupid in front of a room full of people. I started preparing early, everytime I had an idea I wrote it down somewhere so I didn't forget it. The week of the wedding arrived and I started to put all of my ideas together, typed it all out and printed it off to get the other best man to prove read it to check it was all appropriate. The day of the wedding arrived, the brides dad and the groom delivered there speeches and then it was my turn. I can honestly say I've never been more nervous for anything in my life. To my amazement the speech couldn't have gone better. I even manage to deal with some heckling and turn some stuttering into part of a joke. When I'd finished my oldest friend and his wife came rushing over to me and told me what a good job I'd done and how proud they were of me. I was buzzing. Throughout the rest of the evening many of my close friends and a lot more strangers came upto me and praised me for my efforts. I thought things can't get much better than this. Then it did. A lady who it turned out was the brides godmother started talking to me about the speech. She started to ask me whether I write a lot and was amazed when I told her this was the first creative thing I'd written since leaving school in 2002. She then began to tell me I had a great way with words, had brilliant comic timing, I was very gifted and that I should write more. I've never had this much praise for any work I'd done before ever. 

Now just over a year later I have decided to do this blog to give this creative writing stuff ago. Should be easy for someone who is as gifted as me.......right?

I guess I should start by writing something about me.

My name is Colin Richard Clark. I was born on 21st January 1986 in Colchester. My mum gave birth to me. She deserves a high five for that. I usually answer to the nicknames Double C, Clarkey or Cripple (affectionately given to me after I broke my leg). I went to school and met my three best friends. I am closer to them than I am anybody else in the world, including my family. It amazes me that after all these years we are still best friends despite all growing up and going in different directions with our lives and locations.

When I finished school I got a job at my local supermarket pushing trolleys. Somehow I am still there today. Sounds like I've wasted my life slightly and I can see how someone could thing that. But for some deranged reason I really enjoy myself there. There is rarely a day where I don't find something very funny, I work with a grear bunch of fellas and have a boss who despite us bickering like a married couple a lot of the time has been a complete hero during difficult times for me and is very supportive when I've wanted time off for various reasons.

Also during my time at work I have been blessed to make friends with another great group of people who I can safely say have changed my life and made it a lot more fun. I didn't think I could ever get another group of friends who I love as much as my old school mates. I'm extremely lucky. So to the people who do look down on what I do for a living, I say screw you, I'm happy, I'm winning.

Outside of work I, like everyone else have interests. I love playing football and am a die hard Crystal Palace fan. However I main interest, passion and love is music. Namely punk rock and ska music. The first time I heard punk music was hearing The Offsprings Americana album but the album that probably changed my life forever was The Story So Far by UK Ska-Punk heroes (Spunge). After hearing that I was hooked. Punk rock has definitely changed my life. I have always marched to the beat of my own drum and done things my way but somehow punk rock gave me the confidence to be more outspoken about things I don't agree with. It's also great fun to sing and dance to.

That's pretty much me in a four paragraph nutshell. I don't really know what this blog will be about. I'd imagine it will be my observations on the world, things I find amusing and gig and CD reviews. It will probably only be slightly amusing to me.

I'll end by posting a picture of me at the wedding that inspired all this.

BRAP!

Song Listening To At The End Of This Blog: All Right by Agnostic Front