"light my fire"

.. I’m playing a half man – half dragon in the version of Sleeping Beauty we are currently rehearsing for a Christmas show. This is a full Mikron outing, The Latecomers (the adult group), the kids group and with direction, music and more from the political wing of the Mikron militia.. the proper actors and administrators. It’s going to be great.

Why get giddy about a fictional / mythical character in a play for children ? Why do I enjoy playing the part? Because its an archetypal fool character, a pathos /comedy part.. Les Dawson with scales.. one-liners, asides, funny movements and gestures stretched over a soul of yearning (but its a happy ending!.. learn to love yerself and all that..). And I get to wear a big-arsed tail-wagging dragon trouser-thing.. Cool.

Some shots of my actor chums in rehearsal:

What's up

I write here for 4 reasons:
- I have a crap memory (hence the title) and this will jog it one day perhaps
- It keeps people I know in touch as I'm lazy and dont often do personal emails/phone calls/ letters
- I like the sound of my own typing
- I have a fairly strong conviction I'll kick the bucket before I'm 50 (or around then) and this blog along with some writings/paintings I've done over the last few years will help the kids and the mrs fill in some gaps or maybe smooth over some scars in my departing. Or something.

Of course I don't know I'll cark it by 50. That’s just based on pretty poor family genetics/environmental factors from Ma's (RIP) Scottish side (and the old man's heart condition also).
But I don't know that I will live to an old age either, [start obvious fact] no one of us do [end - obvious fact].
A tad maudlin as a theme this time round - with reason...
I precis this with the point that I'm actually in a cheery frame of mind right now with family, work, an exhibition booked for 2007 (not that long to get painting, believe me), and a play on for Christmas and the 'line runner' book getting going (kind of - http://www.line-runner.co.uk)..

But what has got me contemplating mortality and health is that 3 mates, all around my age and all in Marsden have come a cropper on the rude health stakes of late - Cancer, Motor Neurone disease and Multiple Sclerosis. They are all the classic 'good guy' who deserves better from nature and cell development - all have a lot in their lives and all are in different ways currently fucked. Possibly permanently. And you can't rant against random acts of diease but it is crap to see it in action and kicking the future out of great people, to a man.

So I'm not brooding over my own longevity or navel gazing, I'm enjoying what I have and being honest, thinking phew whilst wishing them love and best wishes. Ok, enough brooding.