Author Archives: malcolmsmusingscom

Those who go round in Christian circles may have heard the three point sermon: ‘Believe, Belong, Behave’. Variations on it have been around for longer than I have. Musing on today’s world… Believe: Our political beliefs are challenged: Boris’ handling of coronavirus, current developments with Brexit, the United States election… and a host of globalContinue reading “Believe, Belong, Behave”

My daddy left home when I was threeAnd he didn’t leave much to ma and meJust this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze.Now, I don’t blame him cause he run and hidBut the meanest thing that he ever didWas before he left, he went and named me “Sue”… This old Johnny Cash songContinue reading “A Boy Named Sue”

Yesterday we learned that we may have a ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown. Presumably this is to prevent us being plugged in and switched on – because the result could be shocking. Such metaphors are like a red rag to a bull to me – but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I don’tContinue reading “From Circuit-Breakers to Puddings”

I’m reading ‘The Secret Garden’. Written in 1911 … Mary is brought up in India where ‘normality’ is empire, exploitation and privilege; remarkably relevant today … Her parents die and so she is sent to live in England with an uncle. In a remote house on the Yorkshire Moors she starts to discover a newContinue reading “What is Normal?”

The Seagull Theatre, the local community theatre that I have been involved with for the last 30 years, yesterday received a grant for over £86,000. There was much rejoicing. We can afford to have our roof repaired and keep going well into 2021. Many of the other conversations I had through the rest of theContinue reading “Welcome to my World”

This is Dave who belongs to Andrew and Emily. He visited us yesterday. We discovered that as well as enjoying bike rides he enjoys rooting round damp flower beds and barking at pigeons. He also barked when anyone sneezed. Perhaps he was saying: ‘Bless you’. ‘Bless you’ or ‘God bless you’ – wishing people wellContinue reading “Bless You”

Every time I try to make it on my ownEvery time I try to stand, I start to fallAnd all those lonely roads that I have travelled onThere was Jesus. I first discovered this song because it was sung by Dolly Parton, whose singing and song-writing have enjoyed for many years. When the life IContinue reading “There Was Jesus”

Attitudes to debt have changed over the years. My parent’s generation would only borrow money for a mortgage. Everything else you only bought if you could afford it. In my lifetime things have changed. Because we want more stuff we got ‘hire-purchase agreements’ when buying a car, television, new furniture… Now debt is a wayContinue reading “I.O.U.”

Six months ago, faced with the challenges of Covid-19, we hoped that things would soon get back to normal. Now we are being told that it will be part of our lives for a long time; it will be a ‘long struggle’. How do we cope with anxiety, loneliness and disappointments in ourselves and thoseContinue reading “Covid-19 – The Long Struggle”

Yesterday I mused: ‘Everybody has something to teach me’. Also musing on the line from the Gary Barlow/ Robbie Williams song: ‘There’s three sides to each story: yours, mine and the truth.’ I learnt when dealing with playground disputes: when you hear the first version of a story, you may not have the whole truth.Continue reading “Everybody has Something to Teach Me”