A few rambling, and rather random thoughts

My most recent post was a look back over the past 15 years and detailed how I first got into writing about beer, and then hosting my own blog. Like many of the paths we embark on, as we journey through life, the road we are on can be difficult, fraught, and full of difficult choices. A lot can change in a decade and a half, obviously including people themselves, the places where they live and sometimes even the state of the nation itself.

Events such as the 2016 advisory referendum on EU membership can seem like purely random occurrences, but like much else in life they can have an adverse effect that is felt for much longer after the event has occurred. I don't want to dwell on the obviously negative changes that have occurred since an opportunist Prime Minister held that ill-advised Referendum which adversely affected United Kingdom’s standing and place in the world. It’s difficult to comprehend the effect that a simple binary choice on the ballot paper, between “Leave” or “Remain” could have on a country’s future.

It’s even more galling when you take into account the complexities associated with the UK’s trading relationship with its nearest neighbours and the world’s largest trading block. But with apathy and complacency from the Remain side, and a combination of half-truths and outright lies from the Leave campaign, it’s small wonder we’re in an almighty mess, and considerably poorer as a nation as well.

One constant that doesn't change is the fact that life itself involves change, and whilst sometimes this can be for the best, the converse also applies. Major changes whilst disruptive, are also rarer than we might think, although when they do occur the currents of certainty underlying our lives, and which keep us on the straight and narrow are swept away by a tide of misplaced euphoria, mixed emotions, or even the optimism associated with the arrival of a new false dawn. 

Of course, the events of 2016 pale into insignificance when compared with Vladimir Putin's insane and totally illegal, invasion of Ukraine. Words fail me when describing the actions of this madman, and the suffering he has caused to a peaceful and prosperous  neighbouring country, put him on the same level of wickedness as Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. It really does seem, at times, that the world has taken leave of its senses, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

There are various patterns underlying human existence, and I am reminded of this when looking back at some of the posts I have written, since first starting Paul’s Beer Travels back in 2008. It's no exaggeration to say that you can see such patterns emerging as you journey through life, and it's not unusual for them to follow the changing of the seasons and all that that involves. After all, despite the thin veneer that masks our civilisation, deep down we’re all influenced to a lesser or greater degree by the passing of the seasons – something about our agrarian roots?

This seems especially true with a groups such as the Campaign for Real Ale, and whilst this isn't quite as pronounced now that CAMRA and I have parted company, I can still see the same pattern and the affect that it has, lurking in the background, when I look at my friends and acquaintances who are still members of that organisation. For CAMRA much of the campaigning year revolves around its flagship publication, the Good Beer Guide, and follows a well-established routine.

Those who have been active members of CAMRA will be well aware of the surveying, inspecting, selecting and the submitting entries, for the following year's guide, and those stalwarts who put themselves forward for the all-important task of inputting the details onto the CAMRA database, will be all too familiar with the time-consuming and tedious nature associated with this. It’s my view that CAMRA HQ takes the efforts of these unsung volunteers for granted, even though they are saving the campaign a fortune in wages.

Fortunately, this issue isn’t my problem, although I do remember having to
complete those tedious, data-entry forms by hand – the ones where each letter had to be upper case and entered into its own little box. Woe-betide should a particular word at the end of a line be one letter too long, the hapless individual would have to put a line through the “rogue” word, and start again, on a new line. This pattern repeated, year after year, and it’s something I not only became extremely bored with, it’s something I never want to be involved in again.

To liven things up there are campaigning events such as beer festival's, brewery visits, interspersed with activities, such as regular social activities. Many might argue the latter are just an excuse for a drink, but there’s nothing wrong with that of course, and from time to time I still show my face at the odd branch social. One former branch chairman, when asked if he could assist at a beer festival, uttered the immortal words, “I’ve done my bit,” but then faced further criticism for speaking the truth. There comes a point, in any voluntary organisation when one realises that enough is enough, and it's time to step down, even when others don't always  recognise this.

I ended up serving my local CAMRA branch far longer than the aforementioned individual who, to be fair, stepped down for personal reasons, rather than boredom, and if truth be known, I probably stayed a member of CAMRA too, far longer than I ought. This may have been due to misplaced loyalty, but eventually my increasing disillusionment with the campaign, was strong enough for me to tender my resignation.

Returning to the blog for a moment, it's sometimes been hard finding material to write about. There have been highs and sometimes lows as well, but one certainty remains, and that is the pattern I referred to is still there. This means there will always be stuff along the lines of "what we did on our holidays," places and countries visited, beers drunk, breweries ticked off, and great pubs and bars in which to enjoy them.  There’s also the seasonal stuff like the welcome appearance of old ales, porter and even Christmas special brews, along with the celebrations associated with the festive season.

If you’ve managed to stay the course, so far, you’re probably wondering what on earth is he rambling on about, and why all the pseudo-philosophical stuff? The answer is I don’t really know, it just all came out, but if these thoughts weren't quite what you were expecting, thank you for your forbearance, and rest assured normal service will be resumed next time around.