Absence of mind, presence of body

Dear followers,

I apologise for neglecting you for so long over the last few weeks. After my last post many of you will know that I embarked upon an election wrought with controversy, not least from one of my candidates (more on that story later), and came out the other side smelling only of the fragrance of whatever shower gel and shampoo I had used at the time.

I didn't win, indeed I actually lost my position outright, but fortunately the people who did vote for me first off also had the sense to give second choice votes to the right person who wasn't me. Subsequently, as I said at the time and continue to tell people now, the electorate made the right choice in the end.

When I said 'more on that story later', I meant now. It turns out that one of my unsuccessful opponents ran in an election shortly after, employing many of the same tactics as he'd done in our campaign. Having been caught and cautioned in our own vote, one would assume that he would have learned from his mistakes, but alas he, along with another candidate for a similar position, did exactly as they had done previously and both were thrown out of that election. Not necessarily for better, but because at the end of the day cheats never prosper.

And I think that's the most happy I've been since my fiance agreed to marry me (that came after the last entry as well, but forgive me for skimming over that one as it's a little more personal and a little less accessible for those who don't know the backstory).

Now I took a trip to America to get over my loss, which also coincided with a fieldtrip we were planning anyway - what chance?!. It was an eye-opening but somewhat underwhelming experience. The fabled tales of the land of the free must surely have been faked; car adverts, food adverts and the obvious limitations of social expression were clear for most to see. Yet without meaning to go all human-geography on you, it was an OK trip to an OK location, where the company and content of the course made it far more bearable.

I quickly became bored of alligators.

On returning from America I went straight into a successful job interview, so the last month of my degree I decided to get a full-time job within the institution I was unsuccessful in being elected into. Doing basically what I'd planned on managing had I won the vote.

I shalln't disclose details of the job or personelle. Most of you will know them or something similar to it within your own walks of life and I don't want to get blown up for libel before I've received my first paycheque!

Either way, as the 'real' elections loom (NUS, General, GeogSoc President), I'll leave you knowing only that the sporting year has already been a good one. 2010 brought with it the Winter Olympics and will play host to the World Cup, but I've already been a part of a team that has won one league, won the Merger Cup (first time in forever), been promoted from another and won its first ever baseball fixture. They're not all the same team, but they have the same characteristics - a desire to play honestly, play hard and play well.

I think the key one will always be the first - as I've said time and again, as long as it's true to you then it's true. You don't need references, you don't need justification. No one has the right to quiz or question what you feel, as long as it's what you feel.

'McGuinness