Always hanging around: November 2014

Friday, 28 November 2014

And before you know it Christmas will be here.

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No matter how much you try to ignore the on rush of Christmas which seems to run from the 1st of October to the 1st of January if you are to believe the adverts in the media; the harder it becomes as the first few adverts that appear becomes a deluge before the big day arrives. For the children it's the time of year for writing their Christmas list and which will keep them occupied, and happy, on a rainy Sunday afternoon as they ponder the delights of the presents they want.

Now as they get older the days are gone when colouring pens, books on Bob the Builder and fairy stories, or small cars and simple board games topped their lists. Now it’s mobile phones, iPads, a pet dog, gaming machines plus all the games that go with them and money too. The more time they sit, nice and quiet, scribbling away the longer the lists becomes, and the more poor old Santa Claus will have to work over time to pay off all his elves.

This change didn't happen slowly as the years passed, but came about this year. Suddenly that little baby you once cuddled in your arms becomes a little child, and then suddenly they become grown up children, and before you know it they will be teenagers. I ponder to think what their lists will be like then. Maybe Santa will have to exchange his poor little old slay for a gleaming new big four by four to carry all those gifts? Now that would be a present indeed and one Father Christmas truly deserves! Of course there is always the mince pie and sherry (a big double measure) for him to look forward to until that day arrives.

Today in the U.K we have been hit by a shopping craze that first appeared a year or two ago and this year has hit the nation like a fist in the face. It was imported from America and that is Black Friday. The media have been hyping it this year to the point where at 00.01 am this morning people were fighting in the shops in a mad Frenzy to get to shelves so they could spend their money. Police had to be called and in some cases the shops closed so the whole point of the exercise was lost.

Are people mad? Or are we as a species doomed? Or maybe we are both, and thus doomed to destroy ourselves because of our own madness?

Read Frenzy a Daniel Jones Story an the upcoming sequel Daniel Jones Doom and you may just find out the answer.

Regards

Mark

Friday, 21 November 2014

The turn around begings

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FRENZY on Amazon U.K
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FRENZY on Amazon Canada
FRENZY on Amazon India
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Frenzy for the rest of the world
Mark King on Goodreads.
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Email markkingtheauthor@gmail.com
@author_king

Slowly, very slowly I have have been climbing out of the pit of despair. On Tuesday the burial was held for my niece's child that died during child-birth. The ceremony was held at St Micheal's Church in Oulton Broad. A medieval church that when constructed would have been in a rural parish, but is now on the edge of a major town of Lowestoft that has spread up to it since the 70's.

It was a cold, but sunny day, and the doom could be felt by everyone that turned up. It was a simple service, but one that allowed everyone present to shed their grief. I have now been to two family funerals in the space of two weeks. One a secular cremation for my step-father, and the other a church burial. I must admit that although I shed tears during both ceremonies, I do find a church service more powerful that a secular service. It doesn't matter if you are buried, or cremated, after the church service; I just find that with a religious service when the priest stands there, and talks about the after life, you have more hope that there is a point to life than if you are just there, and here about the good points of somebodies life, which is all they do during a secular service.

Either way it's still two moments in my life I wished I could avoid, but as the saying goes; 'the only two things in life you can't avoid are death and taxes.' This sentence out of all the famous sayings, or words of advice, or doctrine is probable the the most truthful thing of all time. It doesn't matter what religion you believe in, what faith you have, or if you are an atheist, there is no escaping the fact that life comes down to paying tax, for most people, and then death.

I'm sorry if I sound pessimistic today, but when you suffer two deaths in family as close as ours, within seven days, that's how you end up feeling. But then again the family can be more powerful than the tax man, and more powerful than death; because the family lives on from one generation to the next. And that is the whole point of life.

Regards

Mark

Friday, 14 November 2014

DOOM

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There I have been sitting at home in self-pity when I was forced to go out. Two funerals had been booked for the Parish Church and as I'm the verger I had to go, and set everything up. So on Thursday morning just after 11 am I arrived to be greeted by a young stranger. He was friendly, but looked out of place standing there in the church with a can in his hand. As other members turned up I found out more information about this chap. Apparently he had arrived a day or two before, and was homeless. He had slept in the porch way of the church and looked in a sorry state. He left the church for the funeral and returned after it, sitting on the back pew with his can of drink in his hand.

I was locking up and stopped by his side as he sat there silently, starring into the oblivion. I was on my way to the cafe on River Green just a few doors down to get something to eat for my lunch. I asked if he eaten today, and then said if he wanted to come with me I would get him something to eat as well. He looked pleased as punched and within a couple of minutes we were talking away. On our arrival I ordered some food to take away and we sat down at a table as we waited for the order to be prepared.

Then he bleed his heart to me. I asked about his life and he let the flood gates open. He was 26 and was in a terrible mental state. He already had various children from various women but never saw them. He had run up rent arrears and admitted to a violent temper that had got him into constant trouble. So I asked the next obvious question. But why?

Then what he told me put my self-pity, and myself in general, into its true place. I thought I had it bad dealing with Tadger's death, but it was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to his life. He was psychical abused by his dad, and even worse his was raped until he was taken into care. Now for anyone who knows about the British care system for children it can be a hell as bad as which the poor children are taken from. The next twelve years of his life seemed to be a constant hell. He had tried to committee suicide at various times and showed me his arms with its many slash/knifes marks.

This Friday there was another funeral and when I arrived to get things set up once again my young friend was there. Once again he kept out of the way of the service. Afterwards the men of community had a talk with him, Us men had got into action, We knew he couldn't spend the winter months sleeping rough, in the the church porch or on the street, and so men had been in contact and things were arranged.

Afterwards I took him out for a quick drink, and talk, in the Rushcutters. Then he headed back to the Church Porch for hopefully his final night. A bed had been found in a hostel, although he didn't want to go I explained it was just a small step in many steps that he will need to take in getting his life back. He had had bad experiences in hostels, but this time there was a difference, this time he had men by his side to help him. Not people there to exploit him, but men there to help him.

And this whole experience brought home how lucky I have been to have certain men in my life, like my step-dad, who have been there for me when my luck has failed me. And this is why the dedication in Daniel Jones DOOM reads as follows.

This book is dedicated to Dennis King, my father; to William Cassidy, my step father; to David Cragg, my father-in-law; and to Andrew Bagshaw, my friend. Four men who have had a positive influence on my life that I shall never forget.

Regards

Mark

Sunday, 9 November 2014

The proof read.

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I would like Daniel Jones Doom to come out for general sale by the end of the year, so need to get cracking on because as the adverts on the television prove; Christmas is only around the corner and the year is fast approaching its final swan song. Before you know it 2014 will turn into 2015. So next week I will be working hard to finish the proof reading, and nothing can be allowed to get in my way, including decorating my son's bedroom. So the wife will have to put on her old jeans and T-short and get covered in paint.

Now that's one job I don't mind not having to do.

Regards

Mark