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The Trap

"Time is a precious thing. Never Waste it" Gene Wilder, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Generally, I'm quite cautious as to whom I seek solace and advice from, yet within the past two weeks I've heard some really poignant words from the most unlikely people. Some of which, I barely know on a personal level and whose 'friendship' I would say is strictly professional. Yet, almost everyone in this category has told me in one way or another to make sure that I don't get trapped. Our culture is forever transforming and in order to make a quick buck for yourself, all you have to do nowadays is apply to Big Brother, be as peculiar as humanly possible and hope that your antics in the house will be enough sustain you. Yet, as we become more consumed with reality (TV) I can barely remember the name of the last years X-factor winner, let alone the first dude that won.

It so happens that winning as it seems isn't everything- in some cases coming second is quite cushty. (JLS and Jade Goody are prime example of this) However, comfort can do more damage than good in some circumstances. But, throughout all this I must admire all those who stand for hours/days queuing for a slice of their promised fifteen minutes of fame in the ever growing lines for reality TV, because as I was reminded by a fifteen year old boy the other week;

No risk- No fun. Some people are successful enough to carve their entrepreneurial career out of a stint on TV so much so that magazine, TV and perfume deals come flooding in after the show is over and everyone leaves the building- yet, there is a portion - statistics say 90% - of the population who do not have any written aspirations reviewed on a regular basis and are therefore trapped. Sometimes the comfort of our life can trap us into becoming stagnant with what we hope to achieve. There may be avenues and doors wide open for us, yet we put on hold entering through them either due to fear or laziness. Then fifty years down the line, we look back and realise that the moment we left our educational institutions life happened right before our very eyes. And thus, all a majority of us have to show for it is a mortgage, 2.4 kids and an ok job- a far cry from where we dreamed of being. Our constant struggle is that we don’t consistently set ourselves enough goals/ targets. I recall one girl in primary school telling me that her dad made sure that he changed his car every five years. Now some would say that, if it aint broke- don't fix it, yet I see his choice as a wise one. As the times changed, so did technology and in order to fulfil this personal choice, he had to make sure that his wage packet enabled him to maintain this. So, therefore, this decision aptly fuelled the drive to succeed at work in order to place a down payment on a brand new car every five years. I've come to realise, it’s better to have a goal- no matter how small/ idiotic/ selfish or odd it may seem, because it is far better than having none at all. Time is a ruthless thief. You, me and the random guy from Kathmandu all get blessed with 24 hours in a day- what we choose to do with it is what makes the difference between who is the boss and who works for the boss.

One of my favourite childhood movies was and still is Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory. I would hate to recall how many hours I spent with my siblings watching that video over and over again- but one quote that Gene Wilder tells one of the children visiting his glorious factory is that, "Time is a precious thing. Never waste it."

I came. I saw. I blog.

Ruthie x

Black water rising

About 3 hours ago I finally completed this novel. What I had hoped to finish in a week took me approximatley three to finish due to the sheer volume of words Attica Locke has used to cultivate Black Water Rising.

Set in Texas in 1981 the story begins on a bayou that holds an eerie secret to tell. Although I'm not usually partial to thrillers what kept me reading this novel was the consistant use of the present tense throughout. It is noticable to tell that Locke has used her writing abilities to make the sentences short and sweet where nesscary to keep that pace of the heartbeat racing as you turn each page.

Not many writers have the gift of writing a novel directly fit for the movie screen but Attica has carefully done so and reading Black Water Rising made me feel like I was the only person in screen one of my local cinema with a never ending tub of popcorn to accompany me. Although the novel circles around the main character, Jay, there are many other characters within the book that all play a crucial role in the final outcome. Comparitativley, in regards to other novels I have read the number of main characters are usually far less than that in Attica's novel. However, she capably finds a way of linking all of them creating a fuller and more bountiful novel.

Black Water Rising is carefully entwined politically and historically but is yet still so relevant with it's resounding message. As a virgin thriller reader, I would not hesitate to pick up Attica's next novel if it followed suite- no wonder the book has accolades after it already.