The luxury of making a pact

A friend was clearing out her stuff from another friends place. She found a load of stuff from 20 years ago including a photos album of her first years in London back in the early 80s when perms and leggings were big. She told me she left out of anger, a need to get away from her family. She didn't do it alone though. Her sister also was amongst the flatmates, friends, boyfriends, strippers and casual relationships in the photos. Theres a key there. This came up in conversation and she made the point that anger is a good motivator. Sure, but would, could you have done it if you hadn't had your sister there?

It's always easier to take risks when you're taking them with someone else, someone you know and trust. There's always that other person to encourage and support you onward, and vice versa. She was fortunate to have that someone. It's these times when I feel totally and utterly alone.

Rush Hour Meditation

My previous post reminded me of a convo I had a while back with a friend about 'getting away from it all', the rat race, the daily ordeal of getting to work - rush hour. Pausing for a minute I confessed to a liking for that moment, where you are almost unconscious of where you are and what you doing, you are in the swarm, scrum, caught up in the flow of life, of humanity. I remember saying it was a bit mad, but theres a kind of bond there, you become part of a massive movement of people. Weather desired or not it's pretty irrevelant, it just is...maybe that's part of it's magic.

Duplicate Paradise

After a long day setting up an exhibit, me and a friend wondered down to Borough market, somewhere I had wanted for a long time to go visit (food being something I love). It was a quiet weekday so there weren't so many stalls or people. The usual cafe that my friend went to was closed, so we found a coffee/chocolate shop. It was one of those trendy places where everything was made from 'aged & battered' wood. We sat there for while, talked, and it just struck me that every detail of this place was designed, there was nothing left to chance. Lighting came in the form of drop down raw bulbs with trendy designed shades. It was purposely dark and in the background you could hear jazz music playing. It felt totally contrived and empty. The tea was nice, we had a sample of some cocoa nuts...nice. I just couldn't stand the place.

I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe something with a bit of edge, something raw. I made this comment to my friend. I liked those places where not everyone had a guaranteed smile, that you weren't sure if they were going to be friendly or not. Places where it was a bit dirty and people used a plank of wood because it did the job not because it conveyed a certain meaning or attitude that was in vogue. They even had books for people to read spread nonchalantly on one of these 'battered' wooden tables, and a comments book filled with kids drawings. Sweet.

My friend, on the contrary, liked this.

Maybe I don't like paradise, but I knew as I left that place that there was another one, an exact duplicate in some other trendy part of town.