Just over two years ago, in February 2010 I wrote my first blog article. I have just re-read it for reference and it was quite shabby really. An attack on the media for the constant habit of banker bashing. In retrospect it’s difficult to remember why I was defending the bankers. Perhaps a little naïve and perhaps I have changed my views. It is equally difficult to remember what my motivation was to begin writing the blog. I had previously written to local MP’s with little success, although I did manage to manufacture an audience with Paul Blomfield MP, who was very polite and accommodating.

I suspect the main reason I began to write it was my growing frustration at the lack of diversity in politics, in the media and in the legal system, which are all dominated heavily by middle aged middle class white males, giving a very narrow view of how the country ought to be run. I wondered who was going to speak for people like me and decided that I would try to give myself and people like me a voice. I have since written 75 articles, including one published in the local news-paper, The Star,( http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/letters-opinion/viewpoint-how-the-other-half-now-have-to-exist-1-5826928 ) I have amazingly had over 5000 views on posts about football, racism, mental health, the elderly and trade unions. I have also read a lot of other people’s blogs including my friend and colleague James’, which I will post a link to at the bottom, who I am proud to say I coerced/bullied into writing, as I have a couple of other colleagues.

 Some of the blogs I have read are by people who clearly are frustrated wannabe journalists and some are simply on an ego trip. Others are for information purposes and others are just people wanting an avenue to get rid of their anger at the every-day humdrum agitation of existence. I suspect some of them are written by people who are too shy to speak out publicly in real life and some may contain hidden messages to loved ones or even poorly veiled criticisms of employers or friends. Blogging gives a platform to all.

Some are deeply touching and some have occasionally moved me to tears. Some inspire and some are just rubbish. I have tried since 2012 to write something profound. As yet, I haven’t managed in my opinion as I tend to have a reluctance to give no more of myself than my opinion. I struggle to share my actual emotions on events in my own life.

I wish I was writing when my first child was born so I could have shared the joy and optimism of being a new parent. I would have liked to have written in real time about the anguish of my divorce or the shame of my bankruptcy, or the grief at the death of my ex father in law and my wife’s Granddad. I was not and did not and so probably will not but I envy the people who are able to share their most intimate thoughts and fears with an anonymous audience. Those who are brave enough to bare their souls and warts to all deserve to be respected and those who dare not write such self- analysis should probably not judge those who dare.

I generally tend to avoid the topic of myself and write about atrocities such as the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a bus in India. http://fitandproperopposition.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/india-and-pakistansappalling-record-of.html or the disgraceful lack of coverage by the right wing media about things like the illegal blacklisting by some of the country’s biggest construction firms against trade union members.

I try to write in a balanced way and often give both sides to an argument but I have been criticised by some for not being controversial enough. Does one have to be controversial to attract readers or is this simply a result of sensationalised tabloid journalism we are all sadly too familiar with? In one my early posts I tried to court controversy by saying that asking the opinion of multimillionaire businessman Lord Beecroft on changes to employment law was like asking Gary Glitters opinion on the age of consent. A line I stand by and still agree with but these days I try to avoid such comments. Does this make me a sell out? Should I go balls out to offend purely to get more views on my page to pander to my ego? Perhaps. Mainly I write this for me. I don’t really seek approval on my opinions and they are just that- my humble, often uneducated, ill-informed preconceived opinions. If no one ever reads them at least there will be a diary of my opinions for my children and grandchildren to read. Which once again leads me to the desire to write about the people I love and experiences I have shared with them. I would very much like to write about my ambitions and aspirations and my fears and failings so that at least I may be understood one day when I am long gone. Alas, I suspect I shall continue to write about the failings of government and the success of football teams rather than sharing my own innermost thoughts but I salute those who do. keep blogging..

http://jamestringham.wordpress.com/