The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Fuck me, how quick has this year gone eh?

So no doubt, from tomorrow, blogs around the World will start doing ‘annual reviews’ – stating the good, the bad and the bollocks from the previous 11 months.

Well I’m not going to be one of those people, because I’m going to do it today instead.

2010 has been a good year for me.

OK, so Forest fucked up the play off games, but all in all it’s been a very good year.

Apart from the fact I and my loved ones, have been happy and healthy – I entered a new chapter of my life which is proving to be interesting and exciting – which is really great given I’m an old fart at 40 years of age.

Without doubt moving to China and starting at W+K has been great.

I must admit I was a bit nervous.

Not of moving to China … but starting as an employee again after almost 9 years.

Now while some people may think I am of the opinion the company is called Wieden+Kennedy+Campbell [Andy!!!] I’d like to think I’ve adapted to my new circumstances and situation fairly well … and I am certainly very excited about what we can [hopefully] achieve together in the next 12 months.

However if I was to pick one thing that stands out for me as the best point of 2010, it’s my birthday present to my beloved Paul.

Seriously, it was wonderful and turned out way better than I could ever have hoped.

The look on his face – especially when he realised it was in every paper, not just a one off – will stay with me forever, however the real reason it’s the best thing of my 2010 is that I know he knows how important he is in my life and that’s really important, because he’s done more for me than he’ll ever know and I’d never want him to think I’ve taken him – or his actions – for granted.

I can hear you, “Oh god, Rob’s going sentimental again”.

And I guess I am – but in an industry that it supposed to be all about understanding and empathising with people, I find it amazing how little we talk about this sort of thing and while I appreciate a lot of it is personal and private, it should still be something we discuss openly especially when so much of the ‘cutting edge thinking’ that gets the focus and the applause is often hardly new and hasn’t involved all that much thinking.

I’m not saying everyone in adland is like this – maybe it’s just me and the shit that I think & spout – however it is the reason why I find hearing Marcus talk about life in a funny farm or NP write about how his son has changed his life or how Lauren is finding her dalliance with Berlin or basically anything Charles writes about that’s not linked to adland [amongst the many blogs/magazines/people that I could quote] far more interesting and educational than 99% of the stuff that gets promoted in the industry press or amplified via the ‘Rockstar’ blogs.

But then I like Queen …

So here’s to 2010, a great year by anyones standards, and may there be plenty more of them in the years to come for all*.