I, myself...

I, myself...

This phrase annoys me. It's like saying Me, me... Why refer to yourself twice? As far as I'm concerned if I write or say "I", I must be referring to myself. I'm not referring to someone else. The phrase is useless and asinine.

I think that people who use this phrase just want to sound more intelligent than they really are. Or maybe they believe that it makes them sound like a thoughtful individual who has put a lot of personal time and effort into whatever revelation it is they are about to impart to their unsuspecting audience.

Imagine if I was talking to you and I kept referring to you as, You, yourself... You'd think I was a bloody idiot. Even if I said it once you'd think I was a knob. And the reason for that is because if I did call you, You, yourself... then I would be a knob and I would deserve your contempt.

In my opinion, "I, myself...", makes me think that the person perpetrating this inane utterance is a self important turd. I wrote above that it's like saying Me, me... But on reflection what it's really saying is: Me. ME!  What I'm about to say is so damn important that I need to be recognised twice. And I need it to be me who is telling you it's me. ME!

ME, ME, ME, ME MEEEEEE!

An Anniversary Forgotten

I realised today (20 Feb) that 20 years and two days ago is the anniversary of when I joined the Australian Army for the second time. I initially joined, for the first time, some time towards the end of October (or the start of November) 1986. I don't remember that date. I only stayed a couple of years and then returned to being a musician. The only reason I remember the date in 1997 is because It was just after the wedding of two of my friends on St Valentines Day.

I think about my time in the army almost every day. Often it makes me angry or sad. Very rarely do I think about my second term of service with any affection. It was very easy to start with but it ended with everything that I hoped to achieve in my life in ruins.

Not a happy time.

But then things got worse for a while.