The old git

I spent the night battling with a demon, one who says things like:

What makes you think you have any talent at writing?

Why are you wasting your time? Shouldn’t you be doing something useful?

Everything you’re thinking and writing is rubbish.

If you don’t keep it shallow, if you betray a belief in anything, people will just laugh at you.

I know him well.

On the way home from Exeter at lunchtime (Yes, I did head off and do some shopping – and enjoyed it – and had a really good think on the park and ride bus.) Anyway, there I was driving home from Exeter and I saw a big painted sign saying: 50 TODAY MARK CLEGG YOU OLD GIT and got to thinking how I would feel if someone put up a sign like that on my birthday. I decided that I would laugh and I would realise that it’s not so bad being an old git. Then I realised that this was the way to deal with the demon: to take on board everything he says and then say, ‘So what?’

     It’s my life, my talent or lack of, my rubbish, and I’ll do with it as I want.

    The old git.