MUSICAL DOLL; You Should've Said No

"You should've said no,

Baby and you might still have me..."

Fearless is one of my favourite Taylor albums

xxx 

MUSICAL DOLL; Birthday Boy, Thinking 'Bout You

But at least I have the Cinderella-shoe memory...

Happy Birthday, Officer Darling x

MUSICAL DOLL; Loyal to Me

Baby then you know he was never real -

So tell him; I got somewhere else to be

And I don't lose my head for nobody...

If you have to question "Is he loyal to me?" 

Well then he's probably not and you should probably leave.

ONCE UPON A DREAM; A Night With Ant Middleton!

Last night I went to see Ant Middleton's UK Tour.  For those of you who don't know, if you've been living under a rock, he is an ex-SBS soldier and the front man of TV shows SAS Who Dares Wins and Mutiny.  I've been a fan since series one of SAS, so when I found out he was doing a seminar tour I knew I wanted to see him in person.

I bought the tickets back at the beginning of March and I have been waiting patiently for the tour date to come around ever since.  I was even more excited when I found out that he was going to be signing copies of his new book, for sale at the venue!  This was released in May and I can't describe how difficult it has been for me as a bookworm, NOT to buy it right away, or pre-order it on Amazon. It was driving me nuts, because I really wanted to read it and I was forcing myself to wait.

My patience was rewarded last night. I'd been hovering politely over the merchandise desk and then I basically stalked the guy with a trolley full of signed books.  He said there were only 80! So I was glad that I was the first in the queue - I would have been gutted not to get a signed copy after all these months of waiting to buy the book! But here it is - all signed off by the man himself!

I feel so lucky to have this now and it is a book that I shall treasure forever. Needless to say, I won't be lending it out to anyone as I'd probably never get it back! I also bought a signed programme too. All the programme were signed, which was a lovely personal touch, as it meant that those people who didn't manage to buy a signed book, could still get a signed programme.

The seminar was very inspirational. There were lots of military men in the audience and it was a bit testosterone heavy. There were some women with their husbands though. And  there was me, in my pretty pink dress, standing out like a bit of a sore thumb, and my mum next to me, in her neon pink plaster cast! She broke her arm last week. So we were the pink ladies in the audience!

Ant was very down to earth and honest in his opinions.  He spoke of his time in the army and the SBS; he spoke about killing and the danger of being killed; he disclosed his upbringing and explored his spirituality.  At times he sounded almost pagan! He talked about the circle of life, how we are all connected and how we live off the land and therefore must respect it and protect it.  

He also mentioned his affinity with dolphins and how he firmly believes that they are the souls of lost sailors, who protect the high seas and other sailors on the ocean. It was like he was talking about power animals, although he didn't used that phrase - but I could relate to everything he was saying, because it was all so pagan. This wasn't something I had expected from a military seminar and it made me warm to him even more. I realised that this must be why I admire him so much - because on a deep level, we are the same sort of people, who share many of the same values.

He had lots of tips for excelling in daily life too.  In this respect the seminar was a bit like his first book on leadership, which he co-authored with the other guys from the SAS TV show.  Ant described the feeling of anxiety as a 'fear bubble' and cautioned that while it is impossible to avoid, many people fall into the habit of going into the fear bubble much too soon, then staying there and allow it to paralyse their progress.  This describes anxiety in a nutshell and his tips on dealing with it will be something that I can use and pass on to my clients in the counselling room.  For that reason alone, the ticket has more than paid for itself as far as I am concerned. 

I remember I once told my counselling tutor that I had been reading Ant's first military book as part of my background reading for the psychotherapy course. The tutor wasn't pleased and grumbled "That's not even complimentary to counselling!"  I knew then that he was only demonstrating his own ignorance, because I have found that military books are extremely compatible with counselling skills and helping people, especially when you are helping soldiers and pilots etc! So, I feel like I've had the last laugh on that one! 

But the seminar last night made me wish that my nasty old tutor had been there, so that he could have seen and heard for himself, why military books and mindset, are so useful to counsellors. I'm sure the military men I have helped so far, are glad that I listened to my instincts on this, and not to my tutor!

All in all, it was a really great night out. I enjoyed it so much and I'm still buzzing from the experience.  Ant swears like a trouper, which I didn't really mind as I can swear like a trouper myself when I want to - that's just part of being a Yorkshire lass!  But you might want to bear this in mind if you are thinking of going and taking youngsters with you.  I loved that he didn't put on a show of polite language, but was simply himself.  And he was very, very funny!

I hope that he will do more tours in the future, because I would certainly go and see him again.  He is like medicine to me. Ant Middleton did me more good in 3 hours last night, than my own GP managed to do for me in 15 years of me being his patient! Ant should be available on prescription - and the NHS could certainly use his skills to improve their service when it comes to treating people with PTSD and so on, because they are currently failing miserably at this and letting a lot of people down, including veterans. 

If you ever get a chance to go and see a seminar by Ant Middleton, do it! I highly recommend his tour and his books. I plan to spend the rest of the day reading First Man In and prolonging the tour buzz!  

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Autumn at Hogwarts

The 1st of September marks the beginning of autumn - I don't care what the weather is like, to me it's officially autumn.  Which means it's time to indulge in Harry Potter marathons as this is also the date that the new academic year begins at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

I wish the Harry Potter books had been published when I was a child.  I always enjoyed school stories and I loved the Chalet School series, as well as Enid Blyton's Malory Towers and St Claire's books.  I even asked my parents to send me to Malory Towers, or St Trinian's!  Boarding school seemed like so much fun in comparison to the school I went to each day.  So I would have adored Hogwarts even more if I could have read the books with the eyes of a child. The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite book and film, because it is so Gothic. 

That said, I still love the novels and the films.  They are a fabulous form of escapism and the author has successfully created much more than a fantasy world.  She has created a universal sense of belonging;  a place where any child who feels like they don't fit in with their peers, can find a sense of home-coming within the world of Hogwarts and the adventures of Harry and his friends. I think that is why her work is so successful. 

And let's be honest, we've all wondered in which Hogwarts House the Sorting Hat would have placed us, haven't we?  In case you are wondering, I think I would have been in Ravenclaw - that seems to be where all the dreamy bookworms are placed, so I'd fit right in. 

The school I went to did have Houses and we got House Points for achievements and progress.  There were four Houses at my school, named for the rivers that run through the local area and each had its own colour; Don/Blue; Loxley/Green; Rivelin/Red and Sheaf/Yellow.  My brother had been in Rivelin, but I was in Don, so maybe that's why I am drawn to Ravenclaw, but secretly want to be in Gryffindor! 

In my local shopping centre, there is a shop that sells tons of Hogwarts merchandise. It even has battery operated candles 'floating' from the ceiling! You can buy wands, books and scarves in House colours; or a stuffed toy Hedwig; or your very own little Dobbie.  I've got a Ravenclaw jumper that I wear unabashedly around the house, or when I'm running errands. It always makes me smile and it's warm and snuggly, so perfect for the colder months of autumn and winter.  

I think this time of year lends itself to the magic and mystery of JK Rowling's wizarding world.  It is a world where bookworms are celebrated as heroines and chocolate is medicinal.  It's bliss to curl up in Hogwarts pyjamas, with a steaming hot chocolate in a Hedwig mug and a couple of Chocolate Frogs to nibble on, while having a Harry Potter film marathon, or reading the books right from the beginning.  It's a magical way to spend a dull, rainy autumn day - and who doesn't need a bit more magic in their lives?

Sometimes, it's good to let go of adult concerns and responsibilities and just enjoy the magic of childhood once more. Harry Potter gives us a permission slip to do just that.

Mischief Managed!