Jack Of All Trades...

After discussing my drinking habits with a certain Mr Jack Daniels last time, I thought I'd keep the 'jack' theme going with another rather light-hearted topic...

The old phrase goes...'Jack of all trades, Master of none...' ~ hell, ain't that the truth!

For the past three years I've been actively seeking a potential way to enable me to work and live in New Zealand, but alas it seems like it's just not meant to be.
The problem stems from the very phrase stated above...I am a Jack of all trades and I am a Master of none.
When you seek the possibility of moving abroad, especially to New Zealand or Australia, you have to have a specific skill or trade which is in demand or in short supply over there...and herein lies my problem.

Despite being in employment in one guise or another for nearly 30 years, I don't possess any such skill or trade...well, not officially anyway.
I spent the time from when I was 15 to 32 in retail, the last 12 of which in management, yet you don't really get any formal qualifications for that, although you do pick up some vital skills in man-management.
I then went 'back-to-school' to obtain some accountancy qualifications for another job, but once my role at work got moved into a different part of the business this proved irrelevant so this wasn't persued.
Once I became a Payroll Manager I hoped this would involve attaining the neccesary qualifications, as this position can enable you to earn mega-bucks, but unfortuantely work only wanted me to hold the title, not gain the credentials required.
After this I took a complete career change and worked in logistics, but the only possible qualification attainable would have been a fork-lift license, which I would have loved to have gained as this could've been an opportunity for a skilled position in New Zealand, but once again work felt it wasn't neccesary for me to take the tests as there were sufficient numbers of qualified drivers in place already on my particular shift.
Finally, I returned to office work where I'm now in pensions, and I have studied for some exams already, but whether this is where my future lies remains to be seen.
I even persued the possibility of becoming a skydive instructor, based in New Zealand. All the training would be done over there and they offered a 98% guarantee of future employment once you successfully passed all the exams. The only problem was that the course was quite expensive and funding/sponsorship would be required by the UK government. I enquired about this, only to be knocked back...as funding can only be given on the condition that you then return to work in the EU...which rather defeated the purpose when the whole idea was to work in New Zealand in the first place!

So for all of near 30 years of hard graft, I am indeed a 'Jack-of-all-trades ~ Master-of-none'!
But rather than focus on the negative, I thought I'd look at the positives ~ what can I do & what can I offer?

I am a great listener and provider of well intended advice (a counsellor?);
I am a deep thinker (a philosopher?);
I am a very spiritual believer (a buddhist?);
I am a good understander of minds (a therapist?);
I am a great de-stresser with oils (a masseuer?);
I am a patient man (a humanist?);
I am a keen traveller (a nomad?);
I am a good carer of young people (a child minder?);
and I am a lover of life (a goodness guru?).

Therefore, it appears that as I've missed my niche in life, or my vocation, it must surely be time that I market myself and advertsise myself accordingly.
I shall describe my new proposed job title as:

~ Goodness Guru Steve Muskett ~ A philosophical, mobile masseur/therapist available for hire ~ will take care of all of your personal needs & restore your body, mind & soul back to good health

Er, yeah...it's a bit of a long shot ain't it?! Lol.
I'll keep working at it, but the business cards can wait for the time being.

I think I'm a bit of a lost cause in need of St.Jude (the patron saint of lost causes), hence the picture attached to this blog from the great movie, 'Man On Fire' starring Denzel Washington who plays a character with similar issues.

I think the only realistic way that I'm going to get to live and stay in New Zealand is if I marry a lovely, local Kiwi girl...are you listening, Ange? Lol...or if the global company that I currently work for, feel pity on me and set me up in their Wellington office...please?

PS ~ incidently with regards to my previous blog...I must confess to falling off the wagon already!
But I must stress it was with mitigating circumstances and was work related.
Firstly, I attended the inaugural meeting of the unofficial Leeds United Fan Club, and secondly I am shortly due to particpate in the works' quiz which both (in)conveniently (?) happen to have a pub as its' venue.
But I will strive to keep my alcoholic intake to a respectable moderation, and I shall never stray into the binge drinking days & haze of my past...I can promise you that!

However, I've had quite a lot of issues to deal with of late...enough to drive any sane(?) man to drink, believe me! Despite this, I've tried to keep the nature of my blogs light-hearted...although I can't promise it'll remain that way, but I do find that writing these blogs gives me a sense of escapism & enjoyment...so thank you for reading them & thank you for your support.

Until next time ~ take care.

Ramblin' Steve

The Demon Booze!

"a tumbler full of voddie, two fingers in a glass,
 a handful of promises, a heart full of remorse..."

Well, here I am once again ~ the day after the night before, full of regret and remorse!
After another Friday night out on the town, I awoke to find the evidence of sent text messages and facebook postings (most of which I have since removed), to confirm that taking your mobile phone out with you when you're drinking can be a dangerous thing!

My apologies go out to anyone and everyone who's been a recipient of any such messages...be they friends, work colleagues, ex-girlfriends, or loved ones ~ my intentions are always honourable, and no offence has ever been meant.

My good friend in New Zealand, Angela Paul, refers to booze as 'giggle juice' ~ well, unfortunately I have nothing to laugh about after yet another hard session. I'm lucky in that I never really suffer from hangovers, but I do always have a sense of lethargy and tiredness, which I just can't shift and it stays with me for days.
Maybe I've just got to accept the fact that I can't take the pace anymore at my age? Lol.

So I am making a very public declaration via this blog and facebook posting that I'm back on the wagon and that I shall endeavour to stick to this commitment for the forseeable future...me and my mate Jack (Daniels) will no longer be drinking buddies!

I can't say cateogorically that I will never touch alcohol again, but as I have stated countless times previously, my binge drinking days are definitely behind me due to ill health, and now I have to accept that even social drinking must become a thing of the past too.

Moving forward I know that I need to keep a clear head as I've got plenty going on in my life at the moment, and I must remain fully focused and not have my judgement clouded by the demon booze!
I'll be sticking to my passion of coffee, as like I've always said if I was ever given an ultimatum between coffee and alcohol...the coffee would win every time!

My sincerest apologies once again to those who have been affected by my drink induced state over the years, and I shall strive to make these incidents very much a bad memory from the past!

Take care.

Ramblin' Steve

I Guess Things Happen That Way

A very good friend of mine recently said to me with regards to my taste in women, that I never take the easy option and that I always seem to like a challenge! (cheers Denn)
Well, she is probably right, but I can't really say why that is.
All I can say is that I've always tended to follow my heart, rather than my head...and that's what has usually led me into trouble! Lol.

As the legendary Johnny Cash sang,
"you asked me if I'll find another, I don't know, I can't say,
 I don't like it, but I guess things happen that way..."

Whilst always adhering to the principles of being a gentleman who won't kiss and tell, nor name any names, I will however site some of my 'challenges' below. They include:

A mental and abusive psycho, who put me in hospital on more than one occassion;
A Maylasian stunner, who used me to get over her own failed marriage (not that I was complaining);
An ex-'top shelf' model & lapdancer, who failed to mention that she actually had a boyfriend who had just been released from prison after serving a sentence for GBH;
A petite brunette thirteen years my junior, who also had a mother who took quite a shine to me;
A gorgeous yet feisty barmaid, who treated me to one ever so memorable summer;
and a Polynesian beauty, who just happens to live on the other side of the world.

Most recently, my affections have been targeted towards a lovely young blonde, who tragically appears to have heartbreaking health issues ~ the full extent of which remains unknown to me at the time of writing this blog...I can only strive to be strong for her, keep my faith, and not give up hope.

I think my timing has always been lousy with regards to relationships too, as I always seem to meet someone special at the wrong time. She may have just become single, and you're torn between being respectful and giving her time to get over things, or thinking that you should steam right in there!
Then you find that if you take the first option, some other bugger has nipped in and taken the spoils.
Or if you dive heart first straight in, you soon come to realise that it's too soon for her so things don't work out...I just can't win! Lol.

Oh well, I can't really complain ~ this old, ugly, ramblin' fella has been pretty lucky I guess.
I've had my moments for sure, and shared some precious times with some very special and gorgeous women, so I do honestly feel extremely fortunate.

Incidentally, my ideal woman by choice would probably have to be the actress, Lisa Bonet (pictured).
She has genuinely befriended me on Facebook under the guise of her spiritual name, Lilakoi Moon, and I think it's this shared views on spirituality which has led her to like some of my recent postings... although quite what she'll make of this if she reads it is anyone's guess?

Ramblin' Steve

A New Dawn

"The greatest blessing that we have, is the dawn of each new day,
 a chance to finish what we started, and made a mess of yesterday..."

Lately, I can't seem to do right, for doing wrong.
Maybe it's time that I gave up...as I obviously care too much and try too hard.
My intentions have always been very well meant with genuine kindness and love, but it appears that these affections may have been misplaced.
I have remained a patient and understanding man, but I can't sit around waiting for the phone to ring forever.
So I guess it's time to go out and enjoy life once again, as recurring events in Christchurch, New Zealand only underline the fact that life is too short.

As Andy Dufresne says in my favourite film, 'The Shawshank Redemption',...
"I guess it comes down to a simple choice really...get busy living, or get busy dying..."

Next week is payday, and as well as making a contribution to Christchurch at the following address:
http://www.riseup.org.nz/ to aid their ongoing battle to redevelop their wonderful city, I shall also be embarking on a different philosophy and 'A New Dawn'.

I'm going to start living for myself and living in the moment, although I won't be returning to my hedonistic phase of my life, when in the persuit of happiness I nearly lost everything. I'll be utilising my funds in such a way that is geared to my own personal happiness, whilst not neglecting my other responsibilities, nor my caring attitude to those important people in my life deserving of my care and my love.

In the meantime, I wish the residents and lovely people of Christchurch good luck, and would strongly recommend anyone able to contribute to the Rise Up Christchurch campaign, as it's a very worthy cause.

Ramblin' Steve

Fantastic Place

Islands are mountain tops

It's always a struggle
To let somebody go
It's a natural desire
To own your lover, I know
And you can screw a man down
Until he takes to drinking
He'll give you all of his money
You still won't know what he's thinking

Take me to the fantastic place
Keep the rest of my life away
Take me to the fantastic place
Keep the rest of my life away

Take me to the island
I'll watch the rain over your shoulder
The streetlights in the water
The moment outside of real life

I never could dream while I was sleeping
Put your arms around my soul
And take it dancing..

Take me to the fantastic place
Keep the rest of my life away
Take me to the fantastic place
Keep the rest of my life away

Take me to the island
I'll watch the rain over your shoulder
The streetlights on the wet stone
The moment outside of real life

Say you understand me
And I will leave myself completely
Forgive me if I stare
But I can see the island behind your tired, troubled eyes

Take me to the island
I'll tell you all I never told you
The boy I never showed you
More than I gave in my life

Take me by the hand
You'll either kill me or you'll save me
Take me to the island
Show me what might be real life.

Kia ora

'Kia ora' translated from Maori to English means hello/good luck/good health.

Good health is specifically appropriate to me at the moment, as after a pretty stressful time and a regrettable night out on the town, the need to make changes to my lifestyle has never been more relevant.
I now have to live with the knowledge that everything I do must be done in moderation, and not to excess, and where possible all stress is to be avoided...yeah, right!
I'm back on the medication (Lansoprazole) due to the severe chest pains returning, which I experienced previously, and I'm back on the boring porridge, soup and smoothie diet for the time being. Once the meds kick-in and take full effect, I will be able to commence a new regime where I can take things easy whilst still enjoying myself to a certain extent, without completely restricting myself to some treats in my life.

After a night out on the booze, I suffered greatly...and I don't mean the typical hangover that most of us regularly experience. I'm talking about a near heart attack, and the feeling that my heart was either going to explode or burst out of my chest ~ it was a prett scary feeling, and I was having trouble catching my breathe.
In my previous blogs in 'A Spiritual Journey To Find A Home' I wrote in depth about the medical condition that I'd contracted, but back then I hadn't ever experienced the type of sharp pain that had just occurred.
Happily, things appear to have settled down a bit now, which will further improve with the effect of the meds, and by living a healthier lifestyle where possible from now on.

Although drinking binges must remain a thing of the past, I must also acknowledge that life is too short, so you must still try to live for the moment and keep everything in perspective in attempting to retain a decent quality of life. Therefore, whilst keeping things in moderation I will still adhere to the following:

I will have a costa coffee every morning...they ain't ever taking that away from me!

I will indulge myself with some of my favourite foods...whilst remaining careful!

I will enjoy the odd pint when I fancy one...purely medicinal of course!

I will continue to strive to have some fun!

So following on from my previous blog concerning the challenge between a simple way of life and a complex state of mind, this new lifestyle regime will benefit me greatly...or at least I believe and hope that it will.

I'll leave you with a Maori proverb:
"Waiho ma te tangata e mihi", which translates as:
"Let someone else acknowledge your virtues".

The Maori references are a personal reminder to me of when I lived my New Zealand dream, and I was able to find an inner peace within a harmonious existence...and I intend to find that inner peace once again.

Kia ora.

Ramblin' Steve

Simplicity versus Complexity

I've recently been experiencing a troubled mind as I wage a war between simplicity and complexity.
I'm continually striving to achieve a decent quality of life...or at least a quality of life proportionate to what's realistic and allowable within the confines of my income and expenditure.
Yet I always find myself wrestling with certain issues, including conflicting feelings and emotions, not to mention those inner demons or ghosts from the past, which we all have hidden away at the back of our minds. And herein lies the problem, because try as I might to attain a simplistic lifestyle, I find myself constantly challenged by a complex mindset...you could say that I am a rather confused man and a contradictory paradox of an individual.

Spending a lot of time on your own can be a dangerous thing, as this gives you plenty of time to think, and there can be a tendency sometimes to over elaborate with the personal self-analysis.
The problem stems from being comfortable on my own, as well as enjoying the company of others.
Although I'm used to living alone, I also cry out to be part of a 'family', and deal with all the related issues that comprise being part of said family ~ I guess it's all about finding the perfect balance.
I believe this is why as an individual I'm attracted to helping close friends with their problems, as this draws me in to being part of someone else's life, whilst allowing me to forget that I'm on my own.

It's because of this that my simplistic goals are eternally unattainable due to my complex lifestyle.
Far from being simple, my life is full of complex characters who I genuinely care about and constantly look out for...and I love them all.
Although currently residing in the south of England, pieces of my heart lie scattered elsewhere in the UK, and my spirit also often drifts overseas to Ireland and New Zealand.

I sometimes feel that I may have missed my vocation in life, as I should have been a carer, or a social worker, or a therapist of some sort...maybe I should creat a brand new profession: a Massage Counsellor!
After all I am a good listener and a decent masseuer ~ come and share your problems with me verbally, and I'll soothe them away physically! Lol.

I know that I care too much about others sometimes, although I don't think that's a bad thing.
This is just my way, and I'm too old to change my ways now anyway.
So this is why I'll continue to look out for friends and loved ones in all of the places where pieces of my heart remain, and this is why despite seeking the simple pleasures in life, they'll forever be out of reach as my complex state of mind won't ever grant me them.
I do try to live to certain moral principles, although I'm no angel and I've done some things of which I'm not very proud of. But I do know that I'm a humble man with a good soul and a kind heart, and above all I try to remain a 'humanist' who genuinely feels and cares for others.
If that's all I've got to show for my life then so be it, but I'll settle for that as it could be a whole lot worse.

Ramblin' Steve