now and change

A quiet winter day, no wind as yet, brilliant blue sky and early bulbs already in flower. The seasons flow and generally do so with slow and steady change. Everything looks as it should but while sun, rain and the good earth remain as the foundation in nature the same can’t be said for the continuation of human affairs. 

And as the fragility of societies becomes more evident the plans of nations continue. Israel continues its jackbooted, ruthless behaviour towards its neighbours, China becomes more assertive in its totalitarian march, America has Trump and the people have facebook and twitter with both censorship and advertisements. 

Since the virus arrived cash has become suspicious to handle which makes it all the easier to do away with it and ‘go digital’ with all the negative implications. 

It does have the potential to give us the new world order desired by the few – perhaps the many. 

Perhaps twelve years ago I came across Griff Hamlin’s ‘4 note blues.’ It was a revelation or at least a light-bulb moment for me. 

‘I’ve got four fingers’ thought I as if that realisation were on a par with discovering the new world … it was inasmuch as I’d contented myself with strumming guitar for the previous few decades. 

I’m a slow learner and not much disciplined but progress is progress albeit slow. I’ve learnt, more or less, to hold the pick without it disappearing on me, applied myself to learning the patterns within the ‘five blues boxes’ and it’s starting to come together - ‘starting’ being the operative word. 

It brings me quiet joy and something to bring to the musical table when the local pub reopens its ‘plug and play’ nights – who knows when. 

Life continues as best it can with a wary eye on the future and no trust at all in ‘the powers that be.’ 

Here’s Griff’s ‘4 note blues’ and you don’t need to be a guitarist to appreciate what he achieves.