Room 101

"You asked me once, what was in Room 101. I told you that you knew the answer already. Everyone knows it. The thing that is in Room 101 is the worst thing in the world” — O'Brien...

Daytime television

Daytime television is the route of all-evil. It is specifically aimed at the unemployed. Not everybody is unemployed through personal choice. Unemployment figures in Wales is very high due to the demise of so many businesses and I know many, many people who are fully prepared to take any job out there, yet there IS nothing out there. Many businesses have closed down in the last six months and the one time people want to earn money is Christmas time.

How would you feel if you turned up for work one morning to find your job no longer exists, the doors are locked forever and there is nothing anybody can do to help you? You have children at home, a mortgage, higher purchase car, credit cards and a holiday home. Not only do you have no income to cover debts, but also Christmas is approaching and times are hard. You turn on the TV, what do you see?

You see advert after advert begging you to take out a loan, play bingo online, poker challenges if you press the red button, sell your gold, release equity in your house and life insurance to cover your debts when you are dead. Not only blacklisted by the devil, but also falling fast into a black hole with no ladder to help you out…

…You may as well sign your soul over to Old Nick.

Snow

The world looks spectacular when the land is covered in an untouched layer of pure snow. It is one of the most breathtaking spectacles of Mother Nature‘s exhibitions, but I live at the top of a 250 yard-long hill with a gradient of 20%, smack, bang in the Valley - The Dead End Of Nowhere. When it snows, schools close, roads are closed, public transport is restricted and the town is at a standstill. It is pretty, but the novelty tends to wear off snappishly.

Clocks

I think I would be sectioned if I had no knowledge of the time of day, but the sound of a ticking clock infuriates me to the point of spontaneous combustion. I suffer echolalia, which are repetitive echoes of sounds in my head. I spell things repeatedly, I persistently count my breaths and I have a constant stream of music sweeping through my mind. Sometimes it helps to comfort my nerves, pass the time and remember important things, but it often keeps me awake at night, and a ticking clock multiplies the problem immensely. I find it very hard to block out sounds. They just build up with the noise. A ticking clock haunts me. It is my worst enemy.

Space travel

I can stare at the moon for hours and hours, and wave to my Gran on the brightest star in the heavens. The sky mesmerizes me and occupies my daydreaming; however, my greatest fear is to be lost in space. Imagine that… What hope would you have of being rescued? To be stranded on a desert island leaves at least some optimism of recovery, but to be lost in the depths of infinity… SHUDDER!!!

MP3s

My fondest memory of childhood is of music. I had my first record player at the age of six and the pick of my Dad’s colossal LP collection. I was told to pick what I want and to look after them. I chose

Meatloaf ~ Bat Out Of Hell

Elton John ~ Yellow Brick Road

ZZ Top ~ Greatest Hits

David Bowie ~ Space Oddity

Over the years, I treasured those albums, played them over and over, reading the lyric sheets, the band member’s Bios and studying the date of release, record label, and ‘would like to thanks‘.

Ever since, I have collected records, cassettes and Compact disks. I have 1000s stacked up all around the house. Each and every one holds a memory. They are the soundtrack to my life.

Three years ago, I decided downloading was the way forward. I accumulated 5000+ songs on my hard drive that I had no interest in. They were empty kbs. They were not music, but matter. Invisible and shallow. One day, my computer decided to blow itself up internally, and all those imaginary particles died with it.

Music is a luxury. I want to experience every aspect. Mp3s and whatnot’s are certainly not for me!

What would you like to put into room 101?