So…a blog. I’m getting quite used to trying new things in my life but self-expression is a mountain that I’ve barely even dare photograph.
This is Mount Taranaki, a mountain I did dare photograph.
My names Mikey; I’d like to think of myself as outgoing, salt of the earth and always right. In reality, I’m a creature who is more adept at mastering the ‘art of hiding’, terribly sick of WORK and my convictions are at best shakily spoken to those whom I know won’t directly disagree. I’m 24 years old and feel like I’ve little to show for it. Least of all any hair on my head. But that’s absolutely not fair on me!!
Not really gotten the hang of selfies. I think it’s something like this? 🤔
I’m not your orthodox fella: I’ve a degree, but spent 2 months living on the streets of London. I’m incredibly courageous and simultaneously scared stiff. I’m passionate for performance but painfully shy. I could probably continue to bore you with how much of an enigma wrapped inside a riddle I am with opposing parts of myself.. but it’s very true. I’m a complicated geezer. Or maybe I’m just not joining the dots on all this in a way that makes sense.
You may now have picked up on the theme of my blog. I’m intending here to lay bare the way I choose to live and the thought process behind those choices. They seem unorthodox to most – at least that’s the feedback I’ve been getting, to put it lightly! Yet, I’m rather quietly confident that (with my growing joy and self-awareness) it’s not so unorthodox after all. In fact, it’s plainly clear that the direction I’m moving in was clearly the intention of our creator, God. Ooo, yeah, I said it. And there we have our paradox* (the other part of the blog title).
But what’s Jesus and ‘looking busy’ got to do with an intro? Well, kinda nothing really. However, he is almost (almost) the most important discovery of my life. (I really hope you’re not the type to be impatient with paradoxes. If you are, you’re in the wrong domain amigo). It’s also a Johnny English reference. The spoof spy film starring Roman Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and my God I love those films – genius! This idiom is plastered across the Archbishop’s bottom in the film.
Here is the actors face (not his bottom). I thought we’d all prefer that. Credit ‘movie clips on YouTube for the picture and StudioCanal Working Title Films.
I am absolutely not a religious type. That feels strange to say, seen as I attended a Church of England primary school and I used to go to church as a child with my mum (until I was about 6) AND have grown into a very spiritual man. I also, as a boy was deeply curious and definitely believed in God. Sometimes, I’d even pray when I was afraid (I know, what a loose cannon). But if we extrapolate the last 2 and a half years of my life, God wasn’t even on the radar. There’s a lot more to say about this for me but I won’t. My parents aren’t religious at all. My mum quite clearly disgusted by religious folk and I have to say, I feel similarly sometimes. That’s not to say I condemn them, their beliefs or my mother does either. It just seems to us ‘cool, normal, rational, scientific (insert chosen superlative) folk’ who enjoy our wine and sin that you’re all a bit mental and are trying to convert us. We’ve all met someone who has [tried to convert us]…
So discovering the ‘Divine Truth’ YouTube page, in July 2018, the summer I finished uni, and was entering a new chapter of my life (and the proverbial ‘real world’) – it was like a bomb going off. A beautiful, confetti filled dud of a bomb that also shook me to my core (paradox).
I’m now firmly on board and have been for a while. I love it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then I’m sure you can do some research and make your own mind up. I’m not here to convert anyone or persuade. I’m just here to explore some topics that interest me and to talk about my life in a way which I hope is educational and interesting. Although, there will definitely be a lot more divine truth.
Artwork found in Mile End, London, UK – July 2020
I might be on the Rock n Roll**, I might be lonely and I might not be a objectively what you’d aspire to be..but if you join me then hopefully we can straighten a few things out here. We can open things up and take the veil off. Let’s get real and live bravely and see where it takes us. Thanks for reading my first post and welcome aboard. I hope we can get to know each other and grow together.
* For those of you not aware a paradox is:
noun
- a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true.
- My favourite concept 🤓
** Cockney rhyming slang for ‘on the dole.’ Due to my circumstances I am currently receiving the UK governments universal credit payments and have been since January 2020.