The Three Rs - I find it quite funny that the Government classify the three essential skills that children must obtain during education by playing with words (and pronunciation). Surely that doesn't help they young 'uns who are quite easily influenced (read, don't know what's right or wrong (or rong)) and may have unwitting parents who can't spell themselves (or for themselves - ha de ha ha).
Anyway, I'm not about to rant on the Government and their (in?)ability to do things right for the education system, I just want to say that everyone should take some time to take time out and relax with a good, decent sized fictional book. In fact, the past few weeks have seen the BBC advertise RAW (seemingly aiming at adults too, probably because they would have the least amount of free time). Why am I advocating reading? Because it's actually good fun and as educational as going back to school.
I've always been a keen reader (albiet not everything, but then who is?) because it feeds my imagination when else I'm not doing anything useful with my brain. I'm able to imagine situations and locales through words better than anything else, maybe even than when someone is making one up on-the-spot. But ask me to imagine some strange Wallace-and-Gromit-esque contraption for anything and I'm stumped - truly, I don't think I could come up with anything that would be considered eccentric. But situations, actions, locales, atmosphere, that sort of thing, I can do if you just give me a scenario (and some time to think) - maybe it comes down to the fact that I watch a hell of a lot of films and TV programs, but then you don't get to think of your own situations, etc. because it's all done for you, for your eyes to feast upon. And in that way, you would probably never rethink the situation/locale in a different way because - bang! - it's onto the next bit of action/locale/situ/whatever. We'll have enough on our plates just trying to contemplate what's just happened, never mind time to think the situation anew.
And that's where books are brilliant - you read at your own pace and have the chance to re-read things, providing ample time for you to imagine it and move on. And it's your own imagination, your own locale, your own atmosphere - that's what makes it awesome because no-one else is going to think of exactly the same thing. You're not tied down to see what the director wants you to see - you're on your own. And if you can't imagine the situation then, well, you're buggered really - but surely no-one is that bad. Remember, just because you can't describe it, doesn't mean it's a shit imagination - it's just not all that vivid.
Music does the same thing to me too, especially when I'm travelling and I've got my headphones on, tapping away in my own little world, staring out the window. Usually, it's music videos going through my mind which in turn provides myself with little snippets of action video - say a protagonist doing something er... 'actiony', or maybe some slow-moving, calm-as-you-like descriptive footage.
So this kind of pulls itself back to the film/TV aspect of things. I reckon I've got the imagination to write something, a book or a script, something big and challenging, but ultimately something that is good fun. I've been thinking about doing some writing lately (I like to think I can write some funny stuff), but I can never think of a plot/storyline. When I do have something in mind, it seems difficult to stretch it long enough for a book and hence I get annoyed and ignore the whole idea.
I've yet to think of something to write about - maybe I've lost my plot writing devices because I've been reading a lot lately and therefore can't think of anything 'new' (when in fact, everyone is still using the same genres but telling a different story). Oh well.
So, there you have it; reading and writing, two of the three Rs covered. Arithmetic will have to come later, after I've sold the rights to my book.
