The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means. -Oscar Wilde

Hello there. It's been a while. You look good, have you lost weight? Oh. Well, your hair looks - oh. Ahem.

I haven't blogged in a while and I sincerely apologise to my large and devoted readership. Just let me dream, will ya? Anyways, I've been writing something with a friend and of course, because I just love the blog, I've been focused on that one and not on this one.

But my mind has been a-tick, tick, tickin' away. If you've read my previous entries, and I just know you have...ahem...you'll know that I've been reading and watching a lot of stories about morality and the soul and the very things that ole Oscar is talking about in this entry's subject. The idea that we use all of these devices to justify our position in life to ourselves. I've been reading a lot about the idle rich and watching what could only be described as a shitload of Gossip Girl and though I'm not sure at this stage which side I'm coming out as being on (do I write something that glamourises high society or do I tread in the same shoes as Wilde, Fitzgerald and co. and write yet another story of the cost of living the high life?), but inspiration has come perhaps the unlikeliest of places: Irish folk music.

I believe I've written before about the ways in which music can inspire a story or a mere image for me, and last night I went to see the Swell Season at the Sydney Opera House. For those of you who have never heard of them, watch the film Once. More than once. What inspired me was a group of artists truly passionate about their art and revelling in it - they were all so happy to be there and it was lovely. And this passionate, meaningful, organic performance seems to be in complete contrast to the kind of story I'm developing, but it made me ask myself what I want to communicate with this project. And their last song really added a new dimension.

It was a traditional Irish song called The Parting Glass. Sung at gatherings and particularly at wakes, the song is about wishing people well. No fear, no regrets, no guilt. At wakes it is sung from the perspective of the corpse. Essentially asking those left behind not to be sad, to let go and just appreciate the time we have on this earth. It was so moving. And I think what I want to say with my project is this: do whatever you want, just make sure it means something to you.

Thoughts, etc?