4am is a magical time. Where the late-nighters have mostly drifted off to bed, and the early-risers haven’t well…risen. It’s simultaneously eerie and relaxing in a most odd sort of way. Hearing birdcalls echo across a graveyard silence in a usually hectic city center is an…experience. The occasional twitters should feel out of place in the concrete jungle, normally masked by human noise as they are. They do not. Sitting there, watching the sky gradually lighten and listening to the calls is magical because you feel isolated.

I believe I wrote a few Scribblings ago about my observed law of good chasing bad and vica versa. This idea tends to taint good times since I am expecting something bad around every corner. Always a few clouds in the sky as it were. I don’t hate it, though. It makes me better prepared for the inevitably of when those clouds roll across the sun. The storm always hits in the end.

Every writer is different. Not just in their particular turn of phrase. Not just in their writing style, though that is often the difference most apparent. Writers are different because writing is different. Writing flows from experience, it is intrinsically personal. Everyone writes differently. Maybe you plan, maybe the words just stream from you without thinking. Maybe you edit obsessively. Or maybe you do the barest of checks before tossing the piece into the wild.

And so we stand. Astride the years. For this day and this day alone. The time between two days is the time between two years. New Year’s Eve is special because it signals a divide. Between past and present, between present and future. It is also associated with death of the old and birth anew. If there is any time for reflection, it is now. Look forward, look back. Stand astride the years and look each way.

One of the few things in my life that I treat in an absolute manner are my rules. Gibbs from the TV show NCIS was the original idea behind my writing down of life rules. Indeed, I have shamelessly stolen some of his rules. It is key to clarify that these are not rules I would ever dream of applying to others. These are created by myself (and Gibbs) and apply to myself alone.

Time in between times. The period between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve is an odd one. Business hours return to normal, but people don’t. It is a time filled with sleep and food, a time of quiet. Of contemplation. I keep drafting stories but never quite getting them to a place where I’m happy to hit publish. Even though I know each piece will never be perfect, I keep re-editing them.

I’m drafting this with an actual pen and paper in a borrowed notebook. Because my phone died on the Underground. An excercise in poor planning, typical of me. It’s a wonder I’ve made it this far with my writing streak, to be honest! Now, to today’s actual topic… As I’ve mentioned in Scribblings past, I’m a little bit of a Norse obsessive. I wear a Mjolnir pendant almost 24/7, I want to learn Icelandic despite the fact I suck at languages and Vikings is maybe my favourite TV show ever*.

Forge your own path. You are unique, you are powerful. Use fear as a guide when you burn your path. If you are afraid, if you are uncertain — it means you’re doing something right. If you are uncertain of a decision, it means that you care enough about the outcome. Use fear as a guide, but don’t let it consume and paralyse you. Don’t let it stop you from living.

Allow me, if you will, to teach you a anecdotal lesson. That you probably already know. But don’t like to know that you know. I’m riding home on a dual carriageway in pouring rain. Because of the conditions I slowed down to allow the gap to the vehicle in front to widen to about twice the norm. Almost immediately, the vehicle behind me overtakes and fills the gap. I drop back some more…same thing happens.

Inspired by this piece ‘Not giving a damn’ might be one of the greatest skills it is possible to develop. (I’m still working on it myself.) When I say not giving a damn, I don’t mean stop caring full stop. Far from it. I mean caring *intensely about *what matters and not giving a damn about the rest. Particularly about other people trying to tell you what’s important. Don’t let anyone else dictate what you want.

Another bloggy one today I’ve been working all day today. Same tommorow and Boxing Day. That’s pub life, I suppose. Good money, though —double pay tomorrow! We work hard to make other peoples’ Christmas go smoothly. My ‘Christmas’ will be on the 30th. It doesn’t much bother me, since I’ve always been a bit of a grinch (less so lately though) but it’s a perfect example of how the general public don’t realise the retail and food service industries really suck to work in.