Pearls of Scottish wisdom from a funny (partly) bearded man

One of the down-sides of not having a hooked up television is that you do miss out on stuff you might actually like to see. A rare occurence, but it does happen. The Billy Connolly interview on Enough Rope being a prime example. So, weeks later, here I am, unable to sleep due to post-gig buzz and thus resorting to my typical midnight internet romp when I've stumbled across said interview transcript. Hooray!

(It was even better when I spoke it out loud in a Scottish accent. Yes, I know, I'm lame. Let's move along.)

Anyway, before I finally head to bed I thought I'd share a few highlights:

On taking risks:

It's dangerous but don't you find if you do dangerous things good things happen? At certain times in your life you really have to stick your neck out and do things. You know just slightly different from what you've been doing or radically different. But if you want things to change you just have to take, you have to gamble in some way.

On finding your path:

The number of people I've met who are doing things they don't like and it's making them really, you know... The number of guys I knew when I worked on the Clyde who hated their job, didn't like their wife that much and didn't like the place where they lived. And I thought, how can you do this every day? But you would be astonished at the number of people who do that, every day of their lives. And, the whole trick is, I would say to my children when you're going along the road and you're at the library or wherever you are, watch what you're drawn to. Watch the type of shops, the windows you always hang out at. Just listen to yourself and see what you're being drawn to and don't choose a career. You know let it happen to you. It'll choose you.

And finally, just cos this is particularly pertinent to my life at the moment....

On Relationships:

I think healthy relationships are like language. If they're not in a constant state of change they die. You know there's, if you just let it become beige it's over. You know if you can't speak to one another, if you're not friends it's finished. You can, you can have as much sex as you like and as many things as you please and as nice a house and, and happy nice children but it's over, it's pretty much over if you don't, if you're not in a constant stage of change.

Full interview at www.abc.net.au/enoughrope