Notes from the Tram Stop, No.1

"I have nothing to say, and I am saying it"
- John Cage, Lecture on Nothing

Scattered across the internet, in a number of mostly-unknown places, lie the few unfavoured blogs I began long ago. Some died of lost interest, some because of lost time, and some because of lost passwords.

What compels me now to start one again? Honestly, I don't know. I am a minister, which provides me with a twice weekly pulpit to air my observations on life. I have more than enough commitments, so perhaps it is some form of productive procrastination. I am certainly lacking in energy, which many would consider a prerequisite. And alongside my energy deficiency is that of inspiration and insight. I often feel at a loss for words. Echoing Cage above, I have nothing to say.

So I suppose I should say it? Remembering Pascal, maybe by ritualising these words I will come to have faith in myself. The hymnist Mary Louise Bringle calls us to "Sing a new world into being" - that may be grander than what I imagine for this humble rag, but you get the idea. Chipping away at the marble until I find the elephant in the room.

Where it goes from here I don't know. I have an idea or two. One of my favourite blogs was a look at the Manchester arts scene, not as a critique, but as a spiritual reflection. I'd love to explore that again. I'd love to speak more deeply about my life than I do Sunday mornings. I want the confidence to write about niche interests, and not care if anybody reads it.

So there you go; maybe I have something to say, maybe not. But here it will be.