OPINION PEACE

Grafting a coherent, well thought through, well read, opinion piece is tough work. In my opinion. It’s got to be researched enough that it doesn’t err towards whining, knowledgeable enough that it doesn’t sound like nonsensical drivel, and be able to hold its head high amongst the other swathes of academic waffle. It’s beyond my capabilities. I mean, I have opinions, sure, but they’re mainly fuelled by my likes and dislikes and not by any studied intellect. For instance I think the new Killers album is a load of rubbish. Am I a reputable critic – no. I’m just a fan who feels robbed. (Oh, wait, I pirated the damn thing. What a waste of a blank disc). This doesn’t mean the Killers album is a load of rubbish by the way, many people like it (I can’t think why) it just means I have a distaste for it.

The other thing about opinion pieces is that whatever your stance, by virtue of it being public, you also open yourself up to attack. After all, you have an opinion so why shouldn’t someone else. About you. And I’m too soft for that kind of vitriol. I don’t need someone at my throat because I think the whole Lance Armstrong debacle is just a waste of my time. Yes, it probably does make me ignorant, about Lance Armstrong – ignorant and blissfully so. (For the record – never trust a man whose entire name consists of useable words. I mean, what if someone called Javelin Legweak tried to sell you insurance. Same thing, innit?)

So why then does it bother me that I can’t write an opinion piece. Probably because it’s a mark of scripted achievement. A good opinion piece elevates your thoughts from mere dinner table grumbles to logical, talked about, social commentary. Opinion pieces allow people to take notice. And the more talked about you become, the more people come looking for you. And, BAM, suddenly your thoughts become viral and you’ve got an audience. Is this important? I think yes.

Because everyone wants an audience at some point in their lives, even if it’s just an audience of one that allows you to spill your guts about how shitty your day was or what your hopes and dreams are. You see, audiences pay attention. And I think we all want to be noticed or appreciated once in awhile. It makes us feel good. And that can’t be so bad, can it?

Well, that’s just what I think.