The Trouble With Me

 I Feel It All The Time

Thoughts Keep Turning.

It's been three months since I last engaged with the voice of my mind. Life carries on at pace, as ever. Nothing, absolutely not a sausage, happened in those last three months. So I never had any nonsense to spout. Today I am back, even though nothing happened this week either... 

Sometimes, you just have to ask for more. 

When things are going well, that's when I always expect something to go wrong. I think pessimism is an inherently Greenockian trait. It rains a lot. Quite often grey skies. A working class town stripped of a lot of it's identity. I suppose there are several working class towns, all over the UK, that have suffered the same fate over the last 40 odd years but Greenock has suffered a lot. Despite that, I love Greenock and being from Greenock, even if when you meet people from other parts of Scotland and they do that thing of sucking air through their teeth and say 'bit mental that place'. 

I saw a discussion on social media recently about regeneration of town centres. A good mate of mine was praising the work in Paisley and the investment made in the area which the town will no doubt reap the rewards of in coming years. The question of why Greenock, or Inverclyde more widely, couldn't benefit from similar investment and improvement. I think it's a valid question. I also think there are two clear stumbling blocks (without getting into local politics too deeply). 

Firstly - and obviously - Money. Inverclyde is one of the most deprived areas of the country. There are a lot of problems that need to be address before making Inverclyde more desirable to those from further afield. I am not a clever man, so I wouldn't dream of trying to provide answers here. It's just a fact that Inverclyde and it's people need more support than they have. 

The second thing. This is either going to be spot on with people or float like a led balloon. 

There is a trait among many Inverclyde folks. It's kind of the opposite of vanity. Where anything considered 'posh' or high brow is frowned upon as "nobody is interested in shite like that". Admittedly I haven't run a straw poll here but I still believe it to be true. 

The idea of embracing tourism and hospitality seems far fetched to many.  £20 million pounds on a new Ocean Terminal? Why on earth would people want to come here on a cruise? A Maritime museum at the waterfront? Waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere. Those are just two things that are actually planned. They will bring employment to the area both directed and indirectly but "Greenock is a shithole, money better spent elsewhere" is a common response. 

Never mind other ideas like further investment at Gourock waterfront (Fucking Gourock again!! I hear you say). 

Here are two Scotland fans celebrating a 0-0 draw...

Feels like my teeth are falling out, from all the gibberish that's been pouring out my mouth

Anyway... Where did that all come from?

I have said it before and I will no doubt say it again. I talk an awful lot of bollocks. 

Back to the trouble with me. The trouble with me is I am absolutely typical of the Greenock person I described. I have no real positive outlook, from the point of view that I usually need things to be wrong or in a bad place before I will speak up. 

How about some positivity, eh Sammy? Miserable so and so... 

Well. I might just very well do that. I don't know how or why or when but maybe... 

Sometimes you have to ask for more, especially of yourself.