It is a problem I understand very well. My talent has recently become an orphan due to the sudden death of inspiration and my creativity is being held hostage by a series of events much too long and complicated to explain.
I left a notebook of particularly brilliant song lyrics on a table in a hotel in Europe and the authorities have shown no interest in assisting me to retrieve them. This is all part of a great world-wide conspiracy to ensure these lyrics are never heard as they could threaten the very fabric of the capitalist/corporate edifice.
These scribbled notes are currently in a deposit box in Zurich and potentially worth a fortune (did you see what Dylan's lyrics for Like A Rolling Stone sold for last month?).
If you could send me the airfare, accommodation costs plus a couple of million for day-to-day expenses, I could go and collect them myself.
Your email says you have millions stashed away in secret accounts in foreign countries and that for various reasons you cannot access them. I do not understand why you need my account details and password? Have you forgotten your password?
That happens to me occasionally and I do understand how setting up a new one can be a trial but it seems that a few million dollars would be worth ringing a call-centre to explain?
Yours sincerely
PS: A cheque would be quite acceptable.
IT seems that despite the worldwide nature of the web, social isolation demands attention.
A 2010 survey in Britain found that those aged between 18 and 34 were more often lonely, worried about being alone and feeling depressed than those aged over 55 years. This surprised many.
While there is plenty of evidence of how loneliness impacts on elderly wellbeing and health, the consequences for young people have been overlooked.
Perhaps, in this post-modern, connected era with so many ways to link, be informed and connect with others, it is assumed that this is what all young people do.
The survey supported the value of online options for people to join and connect with others but also showed this does not adequately replace the value of face to face (instead of Facebook) when it comes to a sense of belonging.
The strong links between mental health and loneliness is forcing a closer examination of how online activity can both help and hinder wellbeing. Social media tends to set up participants in a competitive environment that highlights, through comparison with others, the perceived deficits in their own lives.
Coupled with the tendency for people to project what they want others to see, following the lives of apparently happy people when feeling lonely can add to the burden rather than lift it.
There are a number of sites proving their value as a way for young people to find assistance online with their mental health problems through using tools such as mindfulness techniques.
While such sites are relatively new there is growing evidence of how effective they can be along with recognition that loneliness requires a real presence in a person's life beyond the screen. Terry Sarten is a Whanganui based writer, musician and social worker. Feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz
