My story began one summer morning light in the midlands of England. As the Sun was rising I took my first Earthly breath and opened my eyes for the very first time. Nottingham is my birthplace. My home. My first world of many. The story of my birth was the first chapter of a story that would be like no other. Growing up in Nottingham was living inside an endless world made up of wonders but wonder did not come without a price – another story for another time.
Coming home for the holidays is always an interesting experience for me filled with nostalgia, ghosts and surreal moments. Taking walks on the streets I grew up and seeing familiar places always takes me back to my childhood. The overcast still feels darkly beautiful and the rain is just as transforming as it was when I was a boy daydreaming of worlds out there.
Christmas was always my favourite time of the year. A homely British Christmas was a family tradition thanks to my mother. I will never forget waking up on Christmas Day so eager to open up my presents under the tree. We always celebrated Christmas as something joyful minus the religious element. For me as a young boy I saw Christmas as a time when the world stood still, forgot about the differences that kept the world apart and remembered the things that made us human.
As I got older I became less naive. Yet the message of Christmas I believed to be true as a young boy, I would try bringing this same message into my world every day whilst growing up. Maybe the true message of Christmas has nothing to do with anything holy but with everything to do with what makes us all the same. After all no belief or religion is above humanity because without humanity there can be no place we call the world. But there is one thing I do believe in and that is a non-British Christmas can never compare to a good old fashion British Christmas. Sometimes all we need is love in the shape of a Christmas cracker.
A new year is here. I guess for some it is like a new beginning of a new chapter. For others it is a continuation of the same chapter from the previous year. In the end 2017 is another year just like 2016. It is another orbit around the Sun. Nothing special. However a new year brings great potential for something new, better and wondrous…and that is up to us. Special is what we make of it. So let’s make 2017 special. Let’s take control of our lifetime spaceships and make this next trip around our star a spectacular one.
Have a stellar 2017!
Watch this time….and space.
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