Prologue: The beginning of something
Welcome to my newsletter. Stay up to date with all my latest writings and ramblings.
Here we are at the beginning of something.
I imagine this newsletter will evolve. I’m sure it will take different shapes. It will transform like a chameleon.
But why poison?
As a friend told me quite bluntly, “that makes no sense Iurgi, chameleons don’t have poison.”
“True.” I said, “but I’m not referring to those types of chameleons.”
Let me explain. The chameleon’s poison is an expression, or a phrase that I’ve had in my mind for a very long time (I even self published a book, a collection of poems, with the same title many years ago).
For me, it’s a way of seeing and describing a lot of what I see in the world.
Change is always constant. It’s one of the pillars of our universe.
Sometimes the changes are big, sudden, noticeable. I’ve just been to New Zealand for a couple of weeks and I’ve learned that with some earthquakes their land has been reshaped in minutes. Or think about what was previously a lush field of green grass, is then dug by machines, foundations are laid and houses built. In a matter of months, the green field just outside your suburb has turned into a new industrial estate.
Other times, the changes are small and subtle, but ever evolving. Mountains continue to change across the years, old trees die and new trees grow. Rocks are shaped by wind, rain and other forces of nature. We may not notice it in our lifetime or from a distance, but the changes are constant.
And then, there are changes in our society and way of life. Newspapers, television, the internet, media in general, they all came with a positive promise. They were going to inform people, share knowledge, educate, connect us.
However, as profit making motives took the driver’s seat and they all became corporatised, they changed and turned poisonous. The chameleon’s poison soured what was, or could’ve been, good.
In this newsletter the phrase also refers to my need to not succumb to that. My need to, perhaps, myself, be a different sort of poisonous chameleon. One that evolves and grows, through reading and critical thinking. In this example, I’m the chameleon evolving in thought and actions. The poison, my critical view of the evolving forces in our media and society.
Or, maybe, an anti-poison of sorts.
So, what will this newsletter cover?
I suppose it will be a stew of all that I am and my main interests. I originally completed a media studies degree at university, then moved to education and after teaching for some time, I’ve ended up in libraries where I feel I have, finally, found my place with a lot of my interests coalescing.
There will also be some creative writing, poetry and stories. Writing has always been my refuge and my way to reflect and try to make sense of life and the world.
I will also reflect on the media and the library sector. I’m sure I will ramble on some of my worries and concerns. There are a lot of positives but, sadly, there’s a lot to be concerned about at the moment.
And, of course, I will write about comics, movies, and music which are like oxygen and water for me. People say they need coffee to function in the morning, or even through the day. I don’t drink coffee or tea, but I need comics, movies and music. Music, above all, keeps me going. A day without music is a day not lived.
Anyway, I hope you’ll accompany me on this journey and I look forward to hearing from you.
PS: please be patient with me while I find my way on Buttondown.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
J.R.R. Tolkien was obsessed with trees. He loved them dearly. I can’t say I’m as obsessed as him(nowhere near) but I do always pay attention to trees. There are few things as calming and bucket filling as walking through a beautiful forest. New Zealand has some stunning forests and trees. The photo above was taken in a park in Auckland. This tree spoke to me and demanded my attention. It’s not just the tree, which is quite imposing by itself but those large roots spreading out metres away from the trunk like a thousand tentacles. Beautiful.
That’s it from me for now. Let me know your thoughts, I look forward to hearing from you here or on BlueSky.