You Need To Have A Blog

So I was told "You need to have a blog" if you're gonna have a website, which was all good and well but there's only so many hours in the day and much of it is spent on photography and designs and managing the site that I was left thinking "really?". What could I possibly write? I don't want to tell readers how to take good photographs or create cool designs. Let your imagination take care of that. There's plenty of reading material already out there.

So instead of a blog, I'll call this my ramble. Loosely connected to taking photogaphs or designs or just about life in general. It might end up interesting, humourous or intermittently boring. Who knows?

Anyway let's dive right in there and we'll figure it out as we go along......

It was 15th December 2018 and I was walking around my home town of Edinburgh, a favourite pastime in a city made for walking, when I came across a bunch of homeless sitting behind Waverley Station in Market Street, huddled up beside a warm air vent on a bitterly cold day. It breaks my heart to see people without a roof over their head, especially at this time of the year. Obviously there are a multiple reasons why people find themselves in this situation: mental health issues and drug/alcohol addiction are the tip of the iceberg.

There they were, huddled in their sleeping bags, their worldly possessions amassed in a few plastic bags, but pleased they had a good spot to stay warm.

I walked over to them and asked if it was ok to take a few photos (I tend to ask out of courtesy though there are times when the moment needs to be captured instantaneously). One of the group was a young lad, which made him stand out from the rest who looked a lot older, but it is a lifestyle which must age you so my assumption of their age group may have been slanted.

I got speaking to him and he was a lovely guy: polite, well spoken, very affable. "Why are you here?" I asked.

"The drink." he replied, holding his tin of beer. He went on to explain his acceptance to his addiction, not in a resigned manner but happy with his lot. I wasn't going preach to him and tell him how life could be better if he found the help he probably needed. Sometimes you need to reach the bottom before rising.

My expectations were low to their long term survival: Scottish winters can be testy, but here was a young lad with his future ahead of him and it seemed like he was giving up before it had started.

I hope, wherever he is, life is improving for him. Maybe he's got a home to go to. That would be a start.

Holly

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