Another year has gone by, and once again it is time to look back – using this Blog as extended memory.

The year started with a fire. Most likely caused by a stray New Year rocket, a portion of a farm, close to where I live, burned down on the first day. Luckily no people or farm animals were hurt, but it looked very dramatic with huge flames and lots of fire engines.

February came and went without me having anything intelligent to say about it.

In March I started to think more about Life, The Universe and Everything – or at least of ways to improve my role in all of this: How to navigate through life, and to stop spending so much time worrying about nothing and everything.

In April, I continued my quest to beat inner demons; this time perfectionism.

May was spent on not writing blog posts. But I did manage to write a post about things I had planed to write about – and within the year I did fulfil the plan.

I only made one post in June. And that was just a new excuse for not writing more posts: Me using so much time getting a certification in some of Microsofts products instead of writing here. I did get the certificate. It did not bring buckets of happiness, but it was nice not having to prepare for any more exams.
I also got a new gas boiler, but I never really wrote about all the money I had to spend – money I could have used on travelling and beer.

In July I could tell that I still – almost – had my worrying demon under control.

I did write some posts in August, but probably nothing memorable.

September came with yet another writers block. I could have written about troubles getting a house painted – but instead I spent my time painting a house.

October had some posts that might look a bit more interesting – or not. It started with some personal development: A hint to clean up. This is a rule I still try to live by.
Later came a post about bees and something about making comments (which nobody did).

Then came November, with dark thoughts: Should I continue this blog? I have had difficulties finding inspiration to write new posts – and if nobody makes just a small comment from time to time, it does not make it easier. At the moment I plan to continue, even if I am the only one writing.

At the beginning of December, it looked like yet a month without anything new. But I finally found time, energy and inspiration to write a bit about singing truth, and about the strange ways in the world of blogging.

That was that. I hope to write more in 2009, and to have you visit my blog.

It was another Blogger that made me start blogging. His own blog closed down in 2008 because of writers block.

It was a fantastic Australian blog that inspired me to continue blogging. That blog also closed down in 2008. I am not sure why.

I have also had my doubt whether to continue blogging. But at this moment, I want to continue. It all depends on inspiration.

Freely modified from the song “Hurt”:

  what have I become?
  my sweetest friend
  every Blog I know
  goes away in the end

  beneath the stains of time
  the writings disappear
  they go somewhere else
  I am still right here

(The real song is made by Nine Inch Nails – with a fantastic cover version by Johnny Cash)

I must admit, I am not what you might call a fan of musicals. It has often been an unpleasant experience to watch a film, where an attempt has been made to hide a lousy plot with lots of songs. (Luckily, most lousy films use naked women instead of songs to make up for bad writers and directors).

But sometimes it actually makes sense, using songs to tell a story. Or even better: if it deliberately makes no sense at all, as in the TV-series 3rd Rock from the Sun, about a group of aliens visiting Earth. A small TV-budget without room for a lot of special effects has dictated a plot in which the aliens take on human form without the understanding of the inhibitions normally present in humans. Very funny! In one episode, they dream for the first time (being aliens, it is not something they normally do) and the most odd member of the crew has a dream with a breathtakingly stupid musical with himself as central figure.

In another TV-series, Buffy the vampire slayer, about a girl who – well – slays vampires, a whole episode (“Once more with feeling”) went up in singing. An intelligent plot and – in the end – a good reason for all the singing, made it all eatable. What is more: Some of the things that would have sounded a bit stupid if said actually gave good meaning in singing. And brought so much fun, especially because the characters really hate that they burst into song and corny dance acts all the time, and try all they can to find a way out of this curse.
It is difficult to give a meaningful explanation on why I find this so meaningful and intelligent, without leaving you with a feeling of exactly the opposite. That is: if you are not familiar with the series yourself – and then there is no purpose on telling you about it.
But very short: The main character Buffy died some episodes before this one, but was brought back to life. Everyone who took part in the rescue thinks they did her a favour. She, on the other hand, had already gone towards the light and has some trouble seeing the positive side of returning; but that she cannot tell, afraid of sounding ungrateful. The problem is that in musicals, thoughts are also often song out loud, and so a lot of secrets are suddenly not so secret anymore.

By the way: Buffy is the only series I have ever seen, where the sudden loss of someone close is portrayed as it really feels. No other series or films I know of, has even come close to that. That was in a more normal episode without singing.

Just to make tings clear: I am not making fun of people who loves musicals like Sound of Music. This happens to be a film with a well build plot – and if it could loose the sickening scene with the annoying kids singing a good night song, it would be fantastic. The animated American television sitcom Family Guy made a parody of that scene, by making an unchanged cartoon version. Probably because any change – no matter how vulgar – would likely make it better.

If ever a film should be made, portraying my life, it should be a musical; both for the fun of it, and to hide all the dull moments. Until that happens, I guess this blog is my song.

And just to set things straight: I also very much like films with lots of shooting, very little singing and no intelligence. 😉

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Glædelig jul og godt nytår!