Phraseology Pains

Recently, I've noticed a few terms and phrases sneaking into language used by those on my tellybox or wireless and now I've noticed I can't stop.

The incriminating phrases are:

'organic process'
&
'special relationship'

The latter is mainly used to describe our fine country's relationship with the land of the free, our MPs and their senators. Is it not a little creepy? Potentially innuendo filled if said in a certain tone? When did this become the top term for a professional, political relationship between two countries anyway?

It's been battered around even more so lately with the death of Maggie Thatcher and her 'special relationship' with Reagan.

It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up but that may well be due to the often accompanying sickening picture of two slimy politicians sidling up next to one another with stretched smiles and menace in their eyes (Thatcher's & Reagan's photographs together are particularly sinister in a wax work kind of way, see below)

photo from theweek.com

The phrase 'organic process' seems to rarely be about growing vegetables or something of a similar ilk when I hear it in interviews. The main culprits are musicians so it may go a little something like this:

Interviewer: 'so how did it come about collaborating with Mr. Big Shot Indie-Producer when you're better known for your hardcore grime street lyrics?'

Interviewee: 'well, we just got a phone call and from then on it was  real organic process, from the writing to producing the song'

I'm aware that they're trying to say that it wasn't a forced collaboration between record companies in a bid to make more of money (but I'm sure this frequently happens too), it's been used way too much recently. It's a go-to term for creative types to announce that they are still in touch with their roots and the symbolism of all these words is quite evocative, I must confess.

Yet, it makes me feel a little bit uncomfortable. It sounds somewhat forced and makes me question how organic it was. That is probably the cynic in side me.

When trying to find an apt picture this came up so I'm sticking with it:

photo from a Canadian research paper, sorry guys

There will be more that for unjustified reasons rile me up and perhaps over time I'll admit defeat, accept the convention and state that the special relationship occurred through an organic process...

Spilling my Guts

'Listen to your gut' - Arthur Smith/Yakult told us in their 2011 ad campaign.

I think they meant more in a health wise way but I have no knowledge on such things so rather I'm going to go with the listen-to-your-gut-instinct angle.

I like logic and reason. It serves my brain well of how to get to a to b in the easiest, quickest fashion and how to prioritise problems so I don't curl up in a ball (although sometimes I'm less successful and curling in a ball helps). It tends to solve problems rather than complicate or create them. It means that I know where the forks are in the draw without looking and saves me having to play a game of hide and seek with the cultery.

Yet, I will throw out all logic and reason, stamp on it and grind it into ashes if my gut instinct pops up saying 'you know what Carys? It may seem illogical and I can't really give you a reason why you should go against your brain but... you should' and I normally do. It's been right more times than it's been wrong. And! my brain controls my gut so it's all intertwined!

My gut instinct has led me to decide off the cuff to do everything from stretching ears to writing something, applying for postions/jobs I wouldn't usually, talking to someone and being bold about it to buying another drink (even when the brain is hazily saying to stop). That last one is an example of one of the rare occasions it hasn't entirely been correct or resulted in a good outcome.

My gut led me to leave high school and go to a college where I didn't think I knew anyone, I decided one day and gut went 'do it'. It led me to introducing myself to some of the most important people in my life, it's led me to quitting a dead-end job in the hope something might take off, it's led me to cutting the bad people out of my life. It's wonderful, it frees up the brain to allow that to help me walk without tripping (another less successful aspect of my life) and making tea - you know, the really important daily life activities.

Recently, I feel appalled that I've completely betrayed my gut (sorry, little guy). I listened to my head, saw the reasoning and followed that route even though my gut was basically freaking out, shouting and hitting it's metaphorical head against a brick wall. It's really hard explaining to people why I've been hesitant because my gut is telling me to be. Why is it telling me to be? I have not the foggiest, it simply is and won't stop telling me, every waking moment - 'oh you're watching TV? Right well, let me interrupt by saying I don't think this is the smartest idea after all' or 'hey! you! tell brain to piss off with it's reason and it being the right thing to do, bloody troublemaker' etc.

Time will tell whether I have to apologise refusely to my gut, begging for forgiveness so that it will steer me correctly in the future, promising that I will forever listen to it and be in its debt.

Somewhere in the dark recesses, I think brain is secretly hoping that gut is right too...

After all Alexander Bain said 'instinct is untaught ability'.