Yesterday was my Dad’s birthday and it was the first one in over 81 years that he wasn’t alive to celebrate. I could hear my dad’s voice in my head saying ‘thank you’ as he would when I would call to wish him a happy birthday. It started out a sad day.

As the day approached I struggled to find much inspiration to take photo’s and I put it down to a number of things including the chaos at home with renovation work going on. But I began to realise I was thinking more about how little time we get to live and this realisation should have motivated me to get out there and take more pictures but it didn’t. I struggled to overcome the inertia that was present and it felt like a physical struggle, tiring and real.

I left the office yesterday evening and the sun was shining down on Manchester city centre. I decided not to head straight home but to wander around and find a place where I could sit outside in the sun and enjoy a glass of wine. On Kings Street I found the perfect location and with the sun at my back I sat and watched people go by. I stayed long enough to eat dinner, enjoy a few more glasses of wine and have conversations with a French waiter, an Italian waiter and two delightful ladies from Bury and Oldham respectively.

In that three or so hours I realised (again) that despite all our failings, humanity is a pretty good species to be a part of. I saw that every individual was capable of contributing something to make the little bit of Manchester where I sat a better place. I smiled at people and they often smiled back; it made me happier and I hope it added something to their day. What I can tell you is that the inertia was vanquished by smiles, conversation and maybe the wine played a role too.

So just remember that the struggle is real at times and that maybe such simple things as a smile and a conversation are all that’s needed to overcome it. Oh, and wine!