Cheer Up!

Head Down, March On
OK, what is it with Londoners?  You barely even acknowledge that any other human could possibly exist, that wasn't out to get you on some way.  Now I am not talking about real Londoners - your genu-ine cockerney, nor am I talking about people that have come to London to find work, well not most of them anyway.  What I am talking about are that part of the London wildlife that thinks they are better than everyone else around, probably from Surrey or Berkshire, somewhere like Croydon.


You all walk with your head tilted slightly downwards, ensuring that you always have about 3 feet of space around you, and God help anyone that tries to say 'Good Morning'.  They are greeted with a look that you think is disdainful, but just makes you look like you have overdosed on Sugar Free Alpen, and you need the toilet, quickly.


The Fear
Perhaps its just fear.  Perhaps because of the tabloids, and headline grabbing sensationalism, that we all now think that anyone who talks to us that we don't know is some kind of wierdo, or lunatic.  Definitely going to kill me and eat my children.


Get a grip...


Granted there are nutters out there, but per head of population are there really any more than there ever were?  Or because of our thirst for the macabre, our need to read about other people's transgressions, is it just that everything is now just reported more widely?  Is our need to read this trash, actually fuelling it.  


People seem to be driven by fame now.  Whether it is for good reasons or bad.  Speak to anyone in schools nowadays, and Pop star, model or actress are all seen as a viable career alternative for anyone, not just the genuinely talented.  They see X-Factor, they see American Idol or Britain's Got Talent (now there's an oxymoron), and they think that they can do it, as "my Mam's, Gran's, Auntie's, daughter's dog, thinks I can sing" or "I'm singing for me dead budgie, you've gotta let us through to the final".  But perhaps its this fame addiction, this need to read and watch about Jordan's latest toenail extension, or her fake marriage / face / personality / boobs (tick as appropriate), or to see who is dating who, that drives us to seek the attention however it is generated.  Good, bad, indifferent or evil, there's probably money in it, a book deal, or reality TV.


Perhaps Lily Allen was right:

  I want to be rich and I want lots of money
  I don't care about clever I don't care about funny

Hmmm.....

Right Here, Right Now

Everything is seen as demeaning now as well, unless it is high profile, cool or exciting. Everything has to be bought now, not saved for, but now, now, now.  People take out loans with no intention of repaying them, and seem to revel in the steps they take to avoid having to pay them back.  Get a job, and while we are at it, working in a burger restaurant is not demeaning its an opportunity.

And before I forget - no you don't get my respect just because you are carrying a knife, or because you're 12 and think everyone should respect you.

Is this it then?  Are we all doomed to a self imposed solitary confinement, never trusting, or really never allowing ourselves to trust?  Wanting everything that the man next to you has, and more, so much more.  Not me mate.  London is a great city, I truly believe that, for all my complaining.  London is a place of infinite opportunities.  If you want to stay in your little box, fine by me.  However I will be ignoring all self imposed perspex, and you better look out, as there is a 'Good Morning' on its way, regardless of how much Alpen you had this morning!


Cheers

Diggy
(I know this one drifted around a bit.  Sorry)