Hidden Objects

Everyday the same necklace hangs around my neck. Big deal right? Actually it is (to me anyway).

I've just starting reading the book "Snoop" by Sam Gosling and cannot believe how interesting it is. Gosling conducts experiments where he looks at people's rooms and can tell what sort of person they are from them. Some have things that comfort them, others inspirational messages to motivate them. Others strangely have things hidden, sometimes in places that only they can see them. This reminded me a little of a necklace that I wear...

I wear the necklace everyday around my neck but not very many people know why and what it represents. There is nothing special about it, except the memories attached with it.

This is probably one of my first strong memories as a child. I received this necklace when I was a flower girl at my auntie's wedding and I have kept it ever since. I can remember the day well. I was only 4 years old but I can still remember walking behind my auntie down the alter, throwing petals. Looking back at the photos of the day it is with me in every single one and it reminds me so much of family.

It's strange how things are invaluable to some people but are irreplaceable to others.

Home is where the heart is? ♥

A lot of people refer to home as where their heart is, but where is home…? Is it where you live now, a place you grew up, where your parents stay now, where you wish you were…? Is it a building, a country, a town or simply a place where your familiar surroundings are?

A discussion I recently attended by Mhairi Bowe at the Sensations Science Centre in Dundee talked about psychology in the home. Predictable stereotypes of the word home like safe, familiarity and belonging were turned on their head within the first five minutes and we were asked to think about home in a new frame of mind. Talking about the past, present and future we were asked how this affected us.

Places have an emotional impact on us. By linking these emotions to the past, we can revisit these store houses (physically or mentally) and relive the memories we choose to. These strong emotional connections that we make may be meaningless to other people but to us they are personal.

By losing a place we are made to realise how much it meant to us. I am lucky in the sense that I have only ever lived in two houses my entire life. The first house I stayed is not far from where I stay now but because I moved to my present house when I was only one years old I can’t actually remember anything about the old house. Now I couldn't ever imagine moving away from my house, but why do we get so attached? So many things have happened in this house. Birthdays, Christmas’, special celebrations, etc.

Although we get attached to places, it is important sometimes to move on and find new comforts. Although moving out of home is a daunting prospect, it is also quite exciting wondering where I will end up.

Although my heart will always be in my childhood home, I hope that a new place someday could also share a piece too.


With thanks:
Photo: http://oels.byu.edu/student/idioms/proverbs/home.html

Something personal to me...

To begin with when I was asked to create a blog I thought great! More work for me to do on top of everything else, but with a little research into the 'blogging' world I realised that writing a blog is not what I expected it to be...

The prospect of writing to an audience is slightly daunting and takes you back to your school days where you were forever trying to impress your teachers with your writing skills and were constantly comparing your work to other people's. Now though, through experience, you realise that writing is personal and that everybody has a different perspective on things and that even though your writing will be viewed through different eyes, it is something that clearly means something to you. (The only trouble is that you have to find something brilliant and inspirational to write about first!)

I'm not going to lie, the pressure of trying to write something impressive can bring on a sudden writer's block. You can have all the ideas in the world in your head and then the next minute...gone! Endless hours of searching for the 'right' material can sometimes feel like banging your head against a brick wall and then, sitting straight in front of you, is your inspiration...two football tickets hanging from my wall.

Some people may have their own opinions on this, one being big deal and the second, your a girl - you can't like football. Well, for one it is and two they can! Since I was a little girl I have supported Liverpool FC which is a major influence from my dad (and probably the fact that Mel C from the Spice Girls was a fan when I was younger). Getting the tickets for my 18th birthday present was probably the best present I have ever received. Nothing can beat the feeling of walking through the Shankly Gates on match day; my ears ringing from the tales of my dad's previous trips to Anfield. Pushing our way past excited supporters we headed towards the Kop. For those of you who don't know what the Kop is, it is the cremê de la cremê - the best football stand in the whole world! The atmosphere inside the ground was amazing and singing football chants alongside fellow 'kopites' was enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. It was then that I knew, I had just lived a childhood dream...

And yes we won 3-0 that day with Robbie Keane scoring his first league goals for Liverpool.