25/09/2013

Had a busy day yesterday, once 'tent making' was over. Although it was technically what I jokingly refer to as a 'free afternoon'. For once I actually did something useful. That is if you think farting around on the Internet and setting up a vanity project, which is 'vacuous in the extreme', is of any value. I do. Or, at least, that is to say I do but not without some reservations. Anyhow, I'm not one for planning ahead. Carpe Diem and all that. Oh yes, that is SO me. Although I get the feeling that when Robin Williams stood on his desk (or was it someone else) and told them all they'd be food for worms one day and they should buck up their ideas and take life by the wotsits (I'm paraphrasing here) he didn't have in mind sitting around from 2pm to midnight, eating Pizza, Ben and Jerry's and playing Black Ops. but some times, on dark, dark days, Captain, Oh my Captain, seizing the door to the freezer with one hand and the console controller with the other, really IS seizing the day.

Not that I did any of that yesterday. My 'living in the now' actually stretched itself to the dizzying heights of creativity. Not only did I set up this blog but I also (drum roll please) set up a TWITTER account. One friend of mine refers to it by another, similar sounding name that is an extension of a four letter word. We will see.

Its getting late and so the few things to say about twitter and social media I must save for tomorrow. Or possibly later. Or possibly never.

A word on today. Shattered.

Thought about preparing the session for Sunday, on the subject of Discipline. Thought really hard for all of ten minutes. Started to read the resource material until my eyes went blurry and my brain felt like cotton wool. Checked facebook just to see if any of the young people were on chat. Three hours later I am scrolling through the same kitten strewn posts of inanity that I have been for the previous three hours, waiting for someone to respond to a comment of mine. That's when sense prevailed. Not productive. Where are all the young people these days? Surely not Google+!! Not one of them on facebook today. It's like it's not cool anymore. Er, I mean' sick'.

Turns out, doing nothing is exhausting.

Have to talk to Paul about changing our resource supplier. I am not sure 'Invigor8' is engaging enough.

Found out today that Nick Grimshaw, host of the radio one breakfast show, is gay. I have absolutely no gaydar. None whatsoever.

Don't expect an entry tomorrow. It's youth night. Paul is running the show. No prep but It will take me all day to psyche myself up to it, and after I'll just be licking my wounds. More on that later.

Lord, (I feel like Ronny Barker at the end of 'Open all hours'. ALL the current contemporary cultural references here! ALL of them) Please for give my idleness and Idolatry (re facebook) and help us, somehow to reach some of these young people for you tomorrow, some of them are quite nice. Get me in a head space where there is not quite so much space in my head, if you know what I mean. Thank you for grace. I couldn't survive without it God. 'Without me you can do nothing', you said. You knew what you were talking about. I sometimes think you included that verse just for me. Anyhow. Night Lord. God bless, If you can bless yourself.

 I'm tired, this is nonsense.

I'm out.

24/09/2013

Hi, I'm new to this blogging thing and you are new to me, so I will just set out my stall, so to speak.

I'm Adrian Betts. People call me Ade so, in a sense I am both Ade and A. Betts. Sorry, I had to get that out of the way. Had it all through school and I have been a volunteer youth worker for the last ten years or so, so the teasing, abuse and bullying has just continued, really. What can I say? I am a glutton for it.

I am also, to my shame, something of a glutton in another less savoury (in that I have a sweet tooth) sort of way. Okay, I like the savoury too. I LOVE food, almost any food (But never the food of Satan, that is the aubergine). Also, not good on the teasing side of things.

I'm a little camera shy, given, not in a small part, to the aforementioned flaw. So I don't imagine I will be posting pics. Also for legal reasons, should I need to distance myself from this account of events, it might be safer (joke, sort of). So imagine, if you will a tall stallion of a man, of muscular physique, with piercing blue eyes and a fine lions mane, streaming back from my noble head in a fine sea breeze as I stand majestically.....sigh. Now reverse all that and you might have it just about bob on. Portly (FAT), thin on top (BALD), of average height (SHORT), eye colour; nondescript. My Mum used to say they were almost turquoise. But she always flattered me. They're not exactly blue (too much grey for that) and not exactly grey (they have some green in).

My day job is best not gone into. At least not yet. Lets just say I call it 'tent-making', so as to facilitate my true calling, providing the apostle Paul was paid the 1st century equivalent of £6.70 an hour for his manual efforts. I mean, who says he was a good tent maker. We all just assume, because he was so good at everything, that he produced the latest range in middle eastern glamping, the Versace of tents. For all we know they were just two bits of cloth and a broom handle. Sorry, where was I? Best leave that in, so as to make it more, er, real. Or just for LOLs, as my youth say. Oh yes my true calling, which may be youth work, or not. I will let you know when I get the call.

I suppose, I decided to take up blogging to pass on my pearls of wisdom re youth work or for personal and therapeutic reasons. I'm not entirely sure. It's either going to be a 'how to', or a 'how not to' guide to all things yoof. Oh, and, of course, to bring glory to Jesus. How could I forget? I suppose I intend to do that by covering myself with big brown lumps of shame so that he may appear all the shinier and stuff.

And the other reason, well, I'm called Adrian. There's somewhat of a tradition of diarists with the misfortune to share my name. It kind of suggested itself, really.