I’ve started writing again. (Yipee!) as I want to improve my rusty fiction skills. I’m working my way through The Way To Write by John Fairfax and John Moat of Arvon fame. It is aimed at the beginner writer but the language is sophisticated, engaging and brain expanding.

One of the first exercises they recommened is to write every day, or as often as possible. So I’m going to try starting that up on me blog. They recommend writing about something that interests you, or catches your attention. These blogs wont always be complete pieces, just a way of me recording my observations and flexing my writing muscles.

On the last day before lockdown I went to my local pub, with said book. It was bliss actually as the three people at the surrounding tables each had their noses in a book. With the firelight twinkling and the relaxed vibe – it was most soothing – totally condusive to thinking and reading about writing.

I’d just read the section about writing a journal or occassional book, and looked around for something of note to ‘observe’ thinking their ain’t going to be much in a dead-quiet, half-empty pub, the night before lockdown.

But then through the window at the far end of the room I saw a guy stand up and start slowly doing the arm wave. You know when a person does and one man mexican wave? Like this…

What will he do next I wondered. Moonwalk outta here?

But he wasn’t really. He was putting on his coat. But between us was a pane of glass with a puckered circle that distorted his regular imjustputtingonmycoat arm movements into a wonderful slow mo dance performance.

Perception to my way of thinking is reality. He was dancing, just for me, just to give me a brief moment of delight at a time of gloom and despair. And I for one totally appreciated it.