Example of conversation today.

You worked in SPECSAVERS for long?

Yes, 15 years.
I had a crash 2 years ago, and now in this chair, so it’s affected my ability to work quite a lot.
Mmmmm…. ( followed by hasty looking at mobile phone ).

I’ve come to the conclusion, after my new life over the last 2 years.

It’s that Mums over the age of 40 should be in charge of EVERYTHING.

They have qualities that the rest of the population don’t.

There are some obvious exceptions – like changing light bulbs, certain aspects of driving, getting corks out of wine bottles, and putting the house/car keys in a logical place …..
But EVERYTHING else.. They should oversee.

They do of course know this already

Sorry men, for this public betrayal.

Personally, I got caned twice at school.

I wasn’t sorry for the things I’d done wrong, rather that I got caught …

Isnt that the way of things?

Mind you, the cane hurt sufficiently for me to not do the same things again.. Or perhaps to ensure no one saw me next time.

1. I got many detentions. The one detention slip my dad kept gave the reason as ‘ballistics’
   I made a paper dart during physics lesson, set it alight and launched it at my least favourite bully in the class.
   I also got beaten up the next day by said bully but Ill never forget his face as the ball of fire approached him!
   M

Russ,

My eldest boy got suspended—was not allowed in school for 2 days– for slapping a girls arse—had a fight with another boy whose mother came into school to complain about the mess his face was in—go caught helping himself to beer from a tap in a bar whilst on a school trip—then ended up as Head Boy—I bollocked him of course but you’re right you need a bit of personality to get on in this day and age of PC madness I think!

His middle brother isn’t much better having once received a further detention whilst in detention….

My youngest daughter already has a school detention, only 2 weeks into her first year of secondary school.

My eldest has had one detention in 4 years.

I was brought up in a household of strict discipline. I fear I’ve failed a little in that respect – given away by my bursting out laughing when Amber told me why she’s got to now sit in the classroom at play time this week.

I do think that a bit of ( non malicious ) bad behaviour does show  ‘ character ‘ , something that anybody meeting Amber would see straight away.

She probably won’t repeat the same breach of school rules again…

I’m sure next time it’ll be something different !

Having had the second of my counselling sessions on the NHS ( after 2 and a half years in a wheelchair ) I met my friend Vee, for a cup of coffee.

It wasn’t long before I’d pee’d myself whilst at a busy cafe.

Unphased ( what is it that’s so cool about Mums ?! ) Vee helped me sort myself out…involving me having to go home, obviously.

Thank you, Mrs Perry

x

This weekend I drive to Birmingham, to go to a conference – I need to go to top up my ‘continuing education’ points – compulsory in most professions these days.

There, will be 600 or so colleagues, many of whom will know me personally, or know who I am.

This will be my first foray of this sort since my accident.

I’ve been to this conference probably 10 times. It was always a combination of bumping into people I know, drinking a lot and getting points whilst fairly hungover.

I’ve learnt since my accident that there is a vast difference between friends and colleagues when it comes to an ongoing relationship.
Friends don’t go away, but colleagues who you considered friends almost all do.
There’ll be a lot of people who’ll see me and think ‘ shit, Russ is here. I never got round to texting/ phoning/ emailing/ Facebook’ing/ sending that card to / visiting him.. What am I going to do now? Pretend not to see him? Rush up and say hi? Mention the chair? Not mention the chair? ‘

It’ll be an interesting/ uncomfortable evening and day, for sure.

There are a few that don’t fit into the above category, but only a few.

Moral of the story?

Value your REAL friends. You might just need them one day.

Thanks to Michelle for her visit last weekend, plus to Neal, Debs, Dan, Marky P, Emily, and Pia for their ongoing  friendship.

And to Dani, for a lot of things x

I’m on my way to visit my partner in hospital.

For a long time, in my personal despair at my own situation, I haven’t thought too much about ‘ people worse off than me ‘.

In about 15 minutes I shall see a man who does fit into that category.