Lost and Found

Long lost items were rediscovered yesterday. I was reunited with many old photographs: photographs as a kid on a donkey, with my brother in our yearly school photo, as a teenager in the park in front of the block of flats, in Oxgangs. Even one photo of my dear friend Gavin who taught me strong foundations of guitar playing and who introduced me to American Rock bands we didn't know too well in Edinburgh and whose music was extremely hard to find.

What I did not expect to find were photos of my parents when they were courting. This photo is such a beautiful representation of them.

I also opened the package to find my Dad's old leather writing case. It was fusty but familiar and brought back fond memories.

I have aways thought how handwriting has pretty much disappeared due to the advent of computers and realise that I've only ever written songs or poems by hand. I imagine it's because I need that absolute connection between mind, heart and body. It's not just about handwriting per se, it's about what someone's handwriting reveals about them once it is laid bare on the page. I could never write a love song on a laptop. Too sterile. But a pen and paper helps you dream, helps you imagine and believe at the same time, and helps you reveal yourself in your writing.

Thanks to receiving this dear family heirloom, I'm going to start writing letters to friends and family. Don't we all delight when we see our address handwritten on an envelope the postman delivers?

Answers on a postcard...