Traffic, computer virus, overcrowded buses / trains, photocopy machines / printers that just don't want to work, cheap batteries, junk mail, telephone customer service, losing your bags when you fly, car alarms, missing someone's birthday, people missing your birthday, too many cables, vomit, insomnia.

Yes, we're aware that the list is not exactly deep and thoughtful, nor is it exhaustive. But it wasn't the time or the place to be talking about child soldiers and global warming. Or was it?

Was thinking about all the stuff that I come across in my daily life that just makes me smile - and there's a lot. TV screens in the back of plane seats, iPod, wireless internet, noise cancelling headphones, mozarella, auto-focus on my camera, Google Maps, Post-it notes, Last.fm, tap water, cheese and onion crisps, heated seats, ice cream.

It's just really nice to know that there is a lot of stuff that just doesn't suck!

Yes, you can send it by text - and it gets read once, maybe twice if you're lucky.

By card - and read a few times.

By letter - and definitely a bunch of times

By graffiti - and you say your message forever. Love it.

Cause and message and idea and values all rolled into one! Is it cause related marketing at it's newest?

How do we view things around us and what changes our perception of how we view everyday things? I've just been on a two-day photography course, which included an assignment to take photographs in London Zoo. The brief was taken from a quote by William Eggleston, "Declare war on the obvious" - go out at take photos that 99% of the other visitors to the zoo wouldn't take. Really it was about seeing things differently, taking common place scenes and turning them on their head. It was great exercise in forcing us to really look at objects, look at scenes, and not just shoot snapshot compositions presented to us.

I've now started taking this approach to everything I see around me - not just while I'm carrying a camera. Suddenly bland grey walls on the way to the tube station have texture and colour that I never noticed before, even my muesli this morning seem to be alive with patterns (not entirely sure that I want my breakfast to be alive - I guess there are certain things that don't need to be observed so closely).

Anyway eyes wide open I'm off to discover the un-obvious...

Life brings up all sorts of challenges - family troubles, money, crime, health and much more. It's not about how many of these difficult situations come your way - it's a myth that lucky people don't face difficult times. It's about how you handle these challenges.

The Forgiveness Project is something that I came across some time ago - the most emotive and inspiring project that I have seen. Every part of me says that it's the right thing to be aiming for - for the sake of the situation, your own sanity as well as for the sake of everyone around you. I can't begin to imagine how difficult it must be. But reading the examples from the website was humbling beyond words.

“To forgive is not just to be altruistic, it is the best form of self-interest” - Desmond Tutu

My favourite example.

In a somewhat random conversation over drinks, we were trying to work out what were some of the coolest inventions were. The Boeing 747, iPod (inevitably), the Ferrari 275 GTS, a frisbee, the internet, fork and knife, lapelles (!!), money, the Dyson vacuum cleaner, democracy and the bra.

What's most interesting to me is how these things came about. Frenzied moments of genius? Not one of them - they have either come about through hard work (99% perspiration, yes I remember Dad!), or through total luck (Eureka).

- The Frisbee - inspired by the metal pie tins of the Frisbie Baking Co
- The escalator - conceived as a Coney Island amusement ride
- Reinforced concrete - by a French gardener trying to develop a better flowerpot (!!!)

Some people blatantly get it wrong. But some get it so correct it almost makes you want to jump up and down. Or, more likely, they get it so right, that you don't even realise.

Oh, and don't forget the old timers!

I am due to be going to a memorial tonight of a close family member.

Trying to work out a few practical aspects for this evening, it has really struck me of the power of photos. Seeing a recently departed loved one in a familiar photo - in this case at a family event with all relatives around him - it really brought back memories in an incredibly powerful way. I look at old photos of others (the joys of Flickr), and yes it makes me smile - but seeing photos of someone I know and love(d) from only a few years ago really does bring out so many different emotions. Pride and smiles, what a fantastic time we had. Tears and sadness, this person is gone.

Is there anything that we have that's as immediate and powerful as photos? Being able to tangibly bring back a personal memory, what a gift, what a joy, what a moment to make me smile and be grateful for that relationship.

There are certain things from life that really influence you - the inspiring art teachers that meant you have got into photography, family meal times eating pizza that mean that you got into cooking, romantic grandparents that has been an incredible example for your relationships.

Brilliant!