3 days, 3 quotes: day 1

Anti-TPPA demonstration, 15 August, 2015, Auckland, NZ. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015

Leanne, at Nihongojapango, is a fellow Kiwi living and working in Japan. I really enjoy her blog; not only for her observations about life in her adopted country, but because I find her thoughts on all sorts of things really resonate with me. Which I guess is a roundabout way of getting to my ready acceptance of her invitation to contribute to the 3 days, 3 quotes challenge.

The universe of possible quotes to share is vast; and trying to impose some sort of logic got me thinking about how some phrases become sufficiently meaningful that we choose to quote them — and perhaps even to live by them. For me, the decision to harvest a particular constellation of words is because their form captures an idea more strongly, more succinctly, more beautifully than I believe I could achieve myself.

A writer who consistently does this is Billy Bragg. It’s a huge bonus that his words are also song lyrics, and I get to enjoy the music as well.

So my 3 days, 3 quotes challenge posts will all feature lyrics from various songs by the “Bard of Barking“, starting with these lines from Days Like These:

Peace, bread, work, and freedom is the best

we can achieve

And wearing badges is not enough

in days like these

Anti-TPPA demonstration, 15 August, 2015, Auckland, NZ. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015

Part of this challenge is to invite three other bloggers to contribute. I’m always a bit nervous about this. On one hand, it’s an acknowledgement that I am interested in what you have to say, and on the other, I know that we’re all pretty busy and don’t necessarily welcome an extra “opportunity” to blog. And then there is my concern that the people I don’t ask might feel slighted … you get the picture?

Oh, I know, I’m over-thinking it, right.

Well here goes. Raewyn at Decocraftsdigicrafts,  Janet at This, That and the Other Thing, and Meg at Move the Chair;  I’d enjoy knowing what quotes inspire or motivate you, make you laugh, or just made you stop and think. So, if you’d like to participate post 3 Quotes ( one a day) on 3 consecutive days and nominate 3 bloggers in each post to participate.