Friday 29 June 2007

Arthur Brown - Fire

...so it does...and so it goes on...spare a thought for those who have to deal with it on a daily basis and exactly what the torture of the flame means...(bloody great song though!) H

backdraft

Arsonists may enjoy the 'eloquence, movement and sound' of the flame, but for those who live with the reality of extinguishing the associated pain, things are not quite so simplistic.

From a personal perspective I have seen the damage of the flame both externally and internally. It bores into the soul of each and every firefighter across the planet. They are unique and are united in an understanding that we in general, cannot hope to understand. Irrespective of the circumstance they bludgeon their way through adversity knowing it is quite simply a 'part of the job' over which they have no control, and ultimately they acknowledge that there is little recognition. But in the UK they are also responsible for RTA's (road traffic accidents) which can be gruesome to say the least - imagine cutting your wife and child out of a car that was crushed by the driver of an articulated lorry who fell asleep at the wheel- and yes that is a reality, one that was suffered by the colleague of a friend of mine.

Imagine hauling a bloated dead body from a canal, or scraping together the remnants of a human being after a bomb explostion. Hmm - not nice. Imagine that as part of your job remit!!

In life it is all too easy to bypass the everyday attrocities that are faced by those who take it as just part of their job. This can be those at war or those who are left to clear up the carnage of a bomb explosion in a civilian area.

All too often the heroism of the firefighters is negated.

Along with Fire Rescue, they are trained in CPR, RT rescue, chemical 'spillages' with the philosophy 'To Serve and Protect' - they stand above most. The pressures put upon them by the bureaucracy of governments is nullified by red tape - and it stinks.

When you go to work perhaps you systematically switch on your pc, upload information, dictate proposals and look for recognition in one form or another. THINK! Think beyond the boundaries.

There are those out there who wait for the sound of a klaxon, knowing that the call out may be their last. Sounds dramatic? Perhaps but it is very real. Every day repeats itself for these guys on every shift they run. Each and every firefighter faces this every time the 'bells go down'. They face it every day and not just once a day but every time that klaxon sounds. Think about it, - who else would put their life on the line not knowing you!?

The media platform in the UK has been extremely detrimental to the UK Firefighters...they deserve better. So much better!

The job takes so much more than guts - to each and every one of them - I salute and respect you.

For Larry and Foxy - H

Monday 25 June 2007

Tout éffacer-Marie-Chantal toupin

Courage toujours en face de brutalite! La fortitude vivant. Hx

Saturday 2 June 2007

The Human Condition

The idea of this write was to be focused on marketing aspects relating to the id - depending upon the platform it is a fascinating theme...many underestimate its power and many usurp it.

Today I wanted to write about the fascination with the 'self-profile' or the ego, people seeking fame, those seeking to emulate in the hope of pacifying the id whilst others drive themselves forward gaining purpose and knowledge - the likes of Elizabeth Hurley, Victoria Beckham and Arnold Schwarzenegger sprang to mind whilst comparing them to the likes of Dame Ellen MacArthur and Ernest Shackleton - self worth and achievement in two incomparable arenas. Undoubtedly the drive for all of them comes/came from something deep within, that from a marketing perspective can be translated into two areas, in short by craving attention and gaining attention - those who have to feed their ego and those whose id is their driving force to achieve so much from life without fear.

We all market ourselves in some way, whether we want to or not, we present our case and hope the reflections appear pleasant and acceptable - but then you throw the emotional element of friendship into the pot - and this twists the plot of my pen.

I am in the process of developing a profiling campaign for a unique and talented artist - the next Barbara Hepworth. As a very close and dear friend this has proven to be quite an intricate and unusual path - her work is so inspiring and so is her passion. I have worked for artists before so I should be objective - but am I? In knowing her so well will I be tougher on her or over-protect her by becoming subjective?, will I view things dispassionately? Emotion can be both so conspiratorial and inspirational - a strong friendship being 'put on the line' so to speak should either ego become 'affronted'.

As a professional I look to remove the personal - but today I was reminded how important synchronistic connections remain -.and here my theme weaves down another interlinked path.

Today ALL things paled into insignificance as I learned that one of my mother's closest friends was terminally ill. Literally hours left. 10 days ago she 'mentioned' a pain in her back at some community meeting where widows ruminate ...since then she has suffered two heart attacks and currently lies in an isolation unit, with only a nebulizer for company. Her family, now dictating the course of her last hours, have deserted her...despite her pleas to see my mother prior to the inevitable ...they remain unheard. Her children simply await the news and feverishly call the lawyer to prepare himself for the reading of her last testament.

My mother received the news and swallowed it as only she could, with incredible humility despite evident pain. "She expected it," she said to me tearfully, "they are driven by self"

It is incredible what we can 'market' about ourselves in times of real crisis and what we learn, even in the every day. In respect of my deliberations one distinct thing stands out to me, that I hope I have the foresight to remain constant - to my friend, my values and myself.
For Millie with love. Helen