Back To Shore

Lyrics: “Imperfect Tense” – Frank Turner, 2008

Look, I edited my photos from show 3000 and uploaded them here. That much at least. There will be a post about the show. And another one about the rest of the time in London. This weekend hopefully.

Right now I’m just in a bit of funk. Not really post-gig-blues, which is a good thing. I have lots of thoughts about how differently I feel about or how I experience a Frank Turner show these days. I’m definitely less “obsessed” and that’s a very good thing. Some of that might /will make it into the post about the show.

But so far this week has been sort of busy with errands and work and coming to terms with election results here in Germany. Thoughts and worries about what will happen and how much won’t happen under this new government, because the ideas, initiatives and policies are too liberal or too left or too woke. Even though I was fed up by (local) politics and even though plan to take a step back from being actively involved, I still care deeply about those issues. And I haven’t even begun to talk about the mess that’s going on in the USA right now.

I think I might still be in the processing and mourning stage. In a newsletter I read, that we should just call it as we experience it. And I think many people on the left (like I consider myself to be) are mourning the loss of possible and necessary change for a fairer, less racist, less carbon-reliant, greener future. And a lot of people are not just mourning but are also afraid about their very own future. People of colour. Trans people. People who rely on financial support for whatever reason.

I find myself turning inward and focusing on myself and my own mental health and growth and change without feeling too guilty about doing that instead of writing letters, going to an anti-fascist march or whatever. Seeking solace in another “West Wing” re-watch. Escaping in a good fun novel… I’m just a bit tired, is all.

This time next week I’ll already be back from a two-nights trip to London. I’ll probably be in front of the TV watching the election coverage, because a few hours earlier the polling stations will have closed and the results will be coming in. I’m dreading that night to be honest. There is so much going on here these days and so much is going in the wrong direction, in my eyes. Also the USA? WTF?!?!?

Work is again quite busy and will be busy next week as well. I will probably continue to feel (slighty) overwhelmed and out of my depths. But I will also try to keep working on NOT feeling that way all the time. I don’t really have anything more meaningful to say or comment on at the moment. My life is so boring. There hopefully will be bit more content here next week, after I’ve come back from London. A part of me wants to pack doing a lot of things in my Friday afternoon / evening and Saturday morning and is afraid I’d be wasting precious time if I don’t do those things. The other part of me feels knackered just thinking about doing anything than taking it easy and getting rest before the two events Saturday. I will probably change my mind about what to do a dozen times next week.

---

My favourite musical “Operation Mincemeat” had it’s Broadway debut last night. A first preview show with the original cast (three of five also wrote the whole thing) and the masses of footage on my social media about it made me so happy.

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Broadway.com (@broadwaycom)

The song the crowd is singing at the stage door? I had a custom made bracelet from a lyric long before there was news of a Broadway transfer.

---

This post was supposed to be titled “Hard Numbers” and I had wanted to copy / be inspired by a section in one of the many newsletters I get these days, in which small tidbits of information are tied to said number. But I didn’t start typing this post early enough today and now I can’t be bothered to focus on the minutiae of my day. Maybe I’ll try to do my London recap post that way.

Lyrics: “Das Übermensch” – Operation Mincemeat, 2023

The “old” media – established newspapers, public service broadcasting – are still not paying enough attention to the Coup going on in the US, I think. I try to keep up through newsletters and some social media, without getting to overwhelmed by it all. Similar with the election / general campaigning / motions in parliament / public discourse here in Germany at the moment. I also try to keep up with reading a liberal and a conversative Sunday paper and finally make a dent in the ton of bookmarked articles.

In the past I have rarely watched candidates debate on TV, because I was so fed up by the stock phrases and all. In 20 minutes the first of a few TV debates between the chancellor and his challenger will start and I will tune in after all. For a while anyway, until I might just have enough.

---

I wanted to share happy thoughts though and am now almost running out of time.

I plan to be be back in Paris for a few days in July to finally, finally see Brandi Carlile live on stage. Wooohooo! I admit I haven’t listened to her all that much in the past 8 – 10 years, but she’s always been on my radar. About 20 years ago I was a huge fan of the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy” which had a great soundtrack in the early seasons. I got to know some of Brandi’s songs through that and I loved her music.

In 2010 I had bought a ticket to see her in Cologne in May. A few weeks before that date the vulcano erupted on Iceland which led to lots of air traffic across the Atlantic being shut down for a while, which then led to the cancellation of that tour. Brandi has been back in the UK and Scandinavia since then, but it never really worked out for me. She will be in Berlin and Amsterdam as well, which would be closer than Paris, but those dates won’t work for me. So I booked the ticket for Paris and will spend a few days. Now that I have an idea of the city again. I can’t wait.