"And I Point To The Universe, Shaking Their Shoulders.."

So, Warren and I dutifully attended at his company's year end function on Monday night. Whichever wassack decided that Monday was a great night for a company year end bash needs to be reported to the Bureau for Local Insanity.

The highly-visible security company had decided to get all its management and higher level employees to attend a performance of the Rock Circus at The Barnyard Theatre. The show itself was abysmal. The singing and music was really, really poor - this from someone who can't sing on key - and the circus acts merely mediocre. I found myself eyeing a support wire for one of the aerial acts speculatively at one point, wondering if I could liven up the show if I just reached up and twisted it.

Before the actual show, we had to endure the gathering-outside-and-sipping-champagne bit. Loads of people, all carefully dressed to the 'smart casual' code, milled around in loose groups and started to get plastered while making smalltalk.
I wandered off and checked out the rose bushes, an English Thrush on the lawn, and a large fat rodent scurrying around the lavender planting.They ought to put rue down there, perhaps.

I looked at the people, all glassy eyes and toothy smiles betokening nothing more than a huge boredom with each others' company - that's when they weren't actually anxious about being in each others' company - and wondered what the hell they thought they were doing.

Gathering in groups of people we don't actually like all that much, to drink alcohol, talk meaninglessly, and watch some really bad stage performance should not be considered entertainment.
And besides, who needs this entertainment stuff anyway?

Look up, look down, look around and most definitely look inside, and you will find wonders and riches to amaze you for the rest of your life.

"...saying "How can you need more than this?"

Chris Bingham's lyrics