A scar, probably my very first one. I could have put the obvious things like skin, a smile or even my wedding ring, however as I usually go off at a tangent I give you the scar on my forehead, it’s been with me about 53 years now.
Playing in the garden with my brother and he trips me up so I go head first onto a drain cover with a big nail sticking out of it sharp point up. Needless to say drain cover joins me on a journey to the hospital where I eventually get separated from said nail and cover after a small operation.
Apparently it was a couple of millimetres from going through the skull.
My brother was a right arse then…passed away a few years back, bless him, but he had a wicked sense of humour. Loved him then, still do and miss him like crazy.
Neither really, just like millions around the globe I’m a worker, a doer if you like getting things done.
Leaders are supposed to lead but in my experience they are usually of a poor calibre and the systems of selection means that we are trying or all wanting to be leaders. Am I a follower? no, I’m not apart from following my football team that’s the only group I follow. Does someone want to follow me in my work ethic? Grab a coat tail and enjoy the ride, you might learn something….if you want, or have a desire to.
Workers are what we need before all the skills are lost and the leaders will have no one to lead. And like wise no one to follow.
Gonna be a bit of a rebel here and drag something up from my childhood – Opal fruits 🍇 now known as Starburst for marketing purposes that only the manufacturer would know the reasons for.
They have 5 flavours :
Blackcurrant
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Strawberry
Introduced in the United Kingdom in 1960, these are my go to 5 a day 😂
What’s one small improvement you can make in your life?
Take 5 – Wait
Again, after discussion with the wife she has pointed out to me that this is an improvement I have self imposed over the years. I have to agree with her that I still use this to this day and I call it Take 5.
My default answer to most questions in the past would be a stern “No” and then I’d go away think about it and then come back to the questioner and discuss it further. I always liked to be creating work for myself going back over things that could have easily been sorted at the point of initial discussion.
However I changed that, and with this Take 5 attitude I can use it almost everywhere. Ask me a question I’ll think about it and get back to you. At work, going out into the unknown onto rail tracks and other dangerous environments I’ll Take 5, am I in the right place? Do I have my safety pack in place? Things such as that. Even out and about with the family I’m also using the Take 5 mantra. There is no need to rush into the unknown or oblivion.
I know most people probably do this anyway, however I didn’t and have made that small change and made significant changes in both my work and home life.
I always remember an old boss years ago telling me, “Put your head into gear before putting your mouth into motion.”
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.
I won’t delve too deep into this question as I’m sure I’ve answered something similar in the past. But here goes.
Mum
My mum was lovely, a beautiful person however she spent her life in the shadow of an overwhelming bullying individual – my father. He was a nasty piece of stuff, people loved him and thought he was the life of the party, but behind closed doors he was probably one of the most disliked and evil individuals you could ever have the displeasure of meeting. He only ever influenced me to make sure I never grew up like him.
Mum though, I love and miss so much. She was such a gentle and caring individual, she certainly did not deserve a life with him, however as always happens in coercive relationships she loved him and wouldn’t have anything said against him.
She taught me to look after myself, she taught me good from bad, she taught me the meaning of manners and respect and pretty much single handedly was my queen and protector.
There’s very few individuals who I think of daily, and mum is one of them.
What she sacrificed for me, I hope I gave back to her, as even in her later years when she was in her 70s and ill with bowel cancer that evil bastard of a father still bullied her. But I was now able to protect her from him and she is the one who taught me that, it’s as if i was being prepared for that role.
I learned not to envy but to admire. Do not hate, as that is a harsh and horrible attitude, and as you can see that word is not used in this post at all, even though we probably had more of a right than most people to use it. Be respectful to others and listen. I still use these teachings to this day.
She spoke beautiful words to my wife and I on her deathbed, and I will treasure those last moments forever. They are private and will forever remain so.
I was fortunate to have such a loving and caring mother. I know not every child in this big old world shares such good fortune, I just hope they can find a light in life to follow.
Purism that’s what it means to me. Now I’m not talking traditional freedoms that one expects as being a resident of this planet as I know there are many places on earth where that is not feasible because someone is telling you that you can’t have that freedom.
Purism allows you to do it your way. I like painting but many would say I do it wrong, I say it’s how I want to do it, my own way not influenced by others totally pure. My electronics, I’m told I go about it the wrong way but I achieve the same results and learn stuff along the way, my way and that’s pure. Freedom of expression, I have no dress sense at all but that’s me and I like the way I dress, I don’t dress to impress others. That’s me and that’s pure. This is freedom to me.
Want to find true freedom? Do what you want and don’t worry about what others want you to do. Never envy, just admire. Be pure at heart and be a good human. Don’t let others dictate your path in life. Find your own way.
Career plan. Now there’s a question. My career has gone as far as I want it to go, and I’m now planning for retirement. Another two years from my next birthday and I hope to have taken the jump.
I’ve given commitment and service to large corporations and companies so far for over 45 years now with little apart from a wage in return. I think it’s time to slow down and do what I want to do…whilst I have that time. I deserve it, my family deserves it.
Career plan more like Retirement plan. That sounds better.
The last live performance I saw was the Ukrainian national ballet and opera version of Puccinis “La Boheme” at the Demontfort hall in Leicester city centre.
La Boheme
Now you are probably thinking I’m a high brow poncey stuck up operatic lovey, you couldn’t be further from the truth. My music choice ranges from operatic, to big band sound, through disco and hip hop all the way through to seriously heavy metal and anything in between. If I like the sound I’ll go see the group that made it.
It’s good to have a variety of music to admire. My love of operatic and chamber music goes down to my total admiration of musicians who can play these beautiful instruments and make such wonderful sounds with them. And that’s why I appreciate live music and will attend a concert whenever I get the chance.
My favourite group is another question though, and that group is REM. As they are no longer around I’m off to see a tribute band to them called “Stipe” that will be in my area next month. I’m looking forward to that.
I could answer this question easily and say “Nothing”. Next question please.
I’m not active in anything currently but I have done the litter picking thing just like many people have stated, I’ve gardened for the elderly I’ve done shopping for them, I’ve recycled old cameras and passed them on to community groups, but to be honest, as I’ve stated in previous posts in my community there needs to be some community spirit and to be totally clear there is none of that around here.
There are so many isolated groups of people unwilling to interact with each other in this city, as in other sizeable cities and this makes developing a community spirit nigh on impossible.
The person who can break that cycle and develop community spirit will get my vote for office.
What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?
To be honest there is no job I would like to do for a day, however if I’m pushed I’d probably like to do the job of my boss, because:
I’ve done his job before and I’d just like to prove to him just how totally incompetent, useless, untrustworthy and disorganised he is. No malice intended here, he just is all four of the above. He has the man management skills of a Gibbon on heat, and you can’t talk to him about anything personal without someone else finding out about it. If things don’t go his way he just throws his toys out of the pram, a total incompetent being paid by a similarly incompetent and disorganised company.
Foxes Den 
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