Three things: I like public speaking, I'm not a hipster and regular blogging is a stress

According to popular folklore, more people are scared of death than of public speaking.

Not me.

It might make me abnormal, but public speaking makes me feel alive. Invite me anywhere. I'll bring a talk.

But you'll have to put up with the fact that I'm not cool. I'm not hip. I don't like the right music or drink the cool beer or wear quirky jewellery.

Having just read Hipster Mattic about the quest for twenty-something ironic coolness, I feel exhausted. Who knew that Scrabble rings were the hip thing? The constant pressure to look right, act right, be ahead of the crowd, be unique and know what's in and what's not is the thing I found most tiring about my teens and twenties.

I'm nearly 40 now and I like liking what I like and not liking what I don't like without worrying about the cool factor.

I've given up the stress of trying to be hip. Now if only I could give up the stress of trying to find something meaningful, funny or wise to say on my blog every day. I can go for a full week without having an original or publishable thought. How do the prolific bloggers do it?