Lacks Character

I’ve always found people with ‘character’ much more interesting than those with no opinions and no vices. People with character can be relied on in a crisis and will always be there when the going gets tough. They don’t love you because you’re wealthy or posh – they love you because you’re a laugh and you occasionally do something off-piste and outside the box.

I can count the people I know with character on one hand. They know who they are and they don’t need reminding. In fact they’d be embarrassed if I pointed them out. They’re the ones that you don’t necessarily speak to every day, or even every week, or month or even six months….but when you ring them, the conversation continues as if you’d been away for 5 minutes.

They’re generally fairly straight forward – some might say blunt in their approach – but you know where you stand and you know they will always stand right there beside you.

These are the type of people that make life worth living.

The other types I can generally give or take. I can sit in a meeting or go out with them and their partner but you never quite ‘click’ with them on any subject or anything of any interest. Unfortunately, I generally don’t give these types much leeway which results in my other half pointing out that I look ‘bored and uninterested’ – which is pretty much true.

What’s the point expressing yourself to people whose opinion changes depending on which way the wind is blowing – it’s a waste of breath.

This does have consequences. Often I am advised that ‘such and such’ a person doesn’t like me because I’m rude. Or a certain couple don’t want you to go out with us because the partner thinks  I’m opinionated.

Personally, I’d rather be liked by a few and disliked by a few – than just being ‘vanilla’ and liked by everybody.

It’s often been said that you will either ‘love or hate Mike Clough – with nothing in between’.

I can live with that.

Which brings me to electric cars.

No character.

Nothing about them appeals to me.

I don’t even believe that we are saving the environment. Too many precious metals needed from mines in foreign countries that are being mined by children and too many demands on our poorly planned charging systems.

Too many issues with plunging second hand prices and cheap imports from China that leave me feeling manipulated into some global power struggle.

Give me a V8 any day – full of character.

I’m sticking with petrol.

Mike C