The Dawkins Moment

It may come as a surprise to some but you don’t always have to agree with your heroes. ‘The God Delusion’ by Richard Dawkins is one of my favourite books. I read it in a couple of days and it turned out to be one of those books which makes you regard the need to eat, sleep or indeed move to be a trying and tedious interruption.

My admiration for Dawkins has brought me much needed kudos from one particular marine biologist whose new hairstyle really does suit her. But some of my friends open their mouths in astonishment when I admit to owning more than one book by Richard Dawkins. “But you have a faith,” they say, “and a pretty strong one too. “

Yes, it’s true. I have a faith. But I also have a mind. I enjoy learning and- like the majority of people around the world- I am not afraid of ideas which conflict with my view of the world. Sometimes, I’ll change my mind. Sometimes, I won’t. But I will always enjoy the discussions.

I remember the Living TV series ‘Most Haunted’. For those unfamiliar with the show I’ll give you a summary: Yvette Fielding gets trapped in a small, dark room and proceeds to panic every time she hears the slightest bit of noise. For one episode, Yvette and another presenter dressed up in attire from the Second World War. Eventually, the resident psychic showed up, marched towards them and shouted: “I sense that this haunted place has something to do with the 1940s”. Spooky. How did he know? Were mystical forces whispering to him or did the clothes of his companions provide a big clue?

Sitting there, reading this you may be thinking that I am an out and out sceptic when it comes to matters of the paranormal. Well, you’d be wrong. The reverse of the above is true. I have a mind but I also have a faith.

I’ve never seen a ghost. Something tells me that ghosts- like a number of women over the years- become sick of my aftershave and Doctor Who knowledge far too quickly and disappear while my back is turned. But I believe in ghosts. I don’t believe they like to haunt tourist attractions like pubs and castles and I doubt very much whether they are able to manifest on camera film in the form of little white specks of dirt. But I believe in them. I am one small part of a new breed: the sceptical believers.

The line between ‘believer’ and ‘fool’ may be thin but it is still possible to base your understanding of the world on things other than your intellect. Besides, in Shakespeare, the fool is often the cleverest person present.

So enjoy, explore and allow yourself to be entertained by the world. There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy.

Join Martin

      

Join Martin. Join the challenge. Get involved.

I’ve set myself a challenge: learn as many languages as I can within one year. I’ll be using and writing about a variety of language learning techniques and products and writing about my experiences on a new Facebook group, on my Facebook blogs, on a new, innovative website dedicated to helping everyone learn a new language (brought to you by Earworms Learning, creators of the best selling audio language courses on iTunes USA- other language learning products are available) and on a new blog called: Join Martin which you can access here:

http://joinmartin.wordpress.com/

But I need your help. Send in your hints, your tips, your ideas and your advice. If you’ve plucked up the courage to learn a new language, I want to hear from you. Email: languagelearners@mail.com.

Get out there, learn a new language and explore a new culture. You never know where it might lead. The cost is minimal. The possibilities are endless.

Apparently, I’m Fanny Price

This entry was previously published on my Facebook.com profile and is a report on my experiences using the “Which Jane Austen heroine are you?” application.

Apparently, I’m Fanny Price.

One of my friends on Facebook is going to love this. According to the “Which Jane Austen heroine are you?” application on Facebook, I am Fanny Price. The description reads as follows:

“You are smart and shy, a quiet beauty with brains that intimidate everyone around you. You often feel out of place, homeless and alone. As an intellectual idealist, you long to be heard and understood, but rarely waste your time trying to defend yourself to those who could not possibly understand. Time and experience is making you bolder. Despite your clever genius, you long for simplicity, and the love of your soul mate, who is a socially surprising and unlikely match.”

As some of you may already know, I am currently being enthralled and irritated in equal measure by the exploits of the Dashwood sisters in Sense & Sensibility. I love the book but, on very rare occasions, I have screamed at the pages: “just get on with it and tell him you fancy him!” The contrasts and similarities between the rational Eleanor and the “prone to flights of fancy” Marianne hold the reader’s attention as they are treated to an analysis of what love actually is and how one should best approach it. I read Northanger Abbey during a three hour train journey from London Paddington to Hereford; only occasionally being interrupted by the mad woman sitting next to me who swore blind she’d got on the Edinburgh train and couldn’t understand why we were going in the wrong direction.

 

I have two copies of Sense & Sensibility. Yes, that’s right, two. Yes, I recorded the recent BBC adaptation and yes I’ve seen most of it and yes, I am comfortable with my sexuality before anybody asks. I’m thinking of starting a Facebook group called: “straight men who read Jane Austen novels”.

For the record, Wuthering Heights stands proud as my favourite novel but the Austen novels have crept up the rankings somewhat in the past year or so.

On an all too brief visit back to Bangor last month (for the Upon My Word event in Main Arts), I spent a good few hours (beer in hand, obviously) chatting to Laith about Jane Austen novels whilst Mike and Mike’s Dad sighed and whispered: “here we go again” under their breaths. Rest assured Laith, I’ll let you know what I think of Sense & Sensibility once I’ve finished it and continue the discussions and thanks for the link to the application on Facebook.

Now, I am slightly nervous about writing this because there is one woman, one friend on Facebook who has an astute knowledge of both Jane Austen books and me and could, if asked, give a pretty good answer to the question. But I’ll write the question anyway. Am I really Fanny Price? I have enough problems in my life without having to go around with “Fanny” as my alter ego.

So, there you have it, I am, apparently, Fanny Price. The next person to ask if I look good in a corset will feel the full extent of my wrath. No chuckling at the back.

The Fanny Price description may or may not be valid but one thing is certain: I am quite enjoying reading Jane Austen novels. When I was younger, such a thing would have been unimaginable but I think I had to be in the right place in my life before I could experience and enjoy such writing. Ok, so I may not be perceived as “cool” for admitting this but then, have you seen my haircut? I’m not exactly cool or fashion conscious as it is so I doubt this will hurt.

I couldn’t end without saying thank you to the woman who started all this. She knows who she is and I hope she realises how much of an inspiration she was and is to me.

Fanny Price, I ask you. What’s next? My Womble alter-ego?