Back Injury
I missed out writing yesterday. Apologies to those 78 readers who wait with baited breath for my daily instalment of wisdom. I have completely knackered my back and spent the day ducking out of society. Fair play to me though, I went into work in the morning, loaded up on painkillers, talked shit for a few hours, went to the chiropractor (£60 for 10 minutes - I'm in the wrong profession) went home in the afternoon to ice, lay down, and fair play to myself again, actually do some work. I had Escape to the Country on in the background and it made me remember with fondness my extreme slacker years. All those times I stared at rubbish TV instead of getting on with work. I surprised myself this time with my now found professional commitment. It felt good to crack on instead of cracking off. I hope it continues.
I generally felt sorry for myself of course. Constant pain and restricted movement does that. The thought of sharing my misery to the world online didn't appeal. Miraculously I kept it to myself and didn't even seek sympathy. This little brave soldier manned up.
Instead, to remove my mind from the discomfort, I got stuck into 6 back to back episodes of House Of Cards season 2 for 5 hours. Not that I displayed addict behaviour. I looked at the second season which had 13 episodes and thought, 'I can do those by 5am'. Good job I cut short at midnight showing remarkable discipline.
Today I have been working from home. In the past my 'working from home', has involved Bikram Yoga, a visit to the gym, a meeting and then a double helping of Minder and Magnum PI on ITV 4. Not today. The new professional attitude meant that I spent from 9am - 6pm working. I know, I cant believe it myself. The TV stayed firmly off and I remained hard at the computer for several hours.
I stopped to ice the dodgy back at regular intervals and stretch, but if nothing else I've done a solid days graft and it feels good.
Here's a couple of things I noticed today;
A friend's courage
Friend of mine called me today and told me they had finally stood up to a horrid insane boss who shouted at them and treated them like shit. They finally snapped and told their boss it was not acceptable, laid down some boundaries and stood up for themselves. I was impressed. I love to hear that. It takes a lot of courage to do that. How many of us are in fear of losing our jobs? How much do we put up with just to earn a living? With so many financial pressures. Rent/mortgage/living/bills/cars/dependants/food - sometimes we live in terror of standing up for what is right.
My friend did that today and I love to hear people making positive changes and feeling enough self esteem to say, 'I'm not accepting that I deserve better.' It's a good news story as the boss apologised and will hopefully treat them with more respect. If nothing else my friend will walk a little taller as that kind of thing just improves self esteem and self confidence. I have huge respect for that and it helps me as it gives me courage to do that in the future if needed.
As an aside my new boss is a belter so I'm very lucky. I respond well to bosses who cut you enough slack and make you want to do a good job for them because they are proper good people. I'm not one who responds well to the big stuck approach. Who is?
Ego In Death
Another friend rang today. (I'm like the oracle today for some reason) They were in pain following the death of someone they knew a couple of weeks ago and wanted my advice. They weren't cut up about the death but about people's reaction to it. Thinking that people were trying to own the grief and use the drama for themselves. They were getting angrier and angrier towards everyone and starting to isolate, develop resentment to the whole world and control the situation because they were doing more about it than anyone else.
It's a tough situation. I experienced it last year. My friend who died from Cancer, told me before he went, 'all those alcoholics will be fighting over my body when I die'. We had a laugh about it. He called it right. Even in grief alcoholics love to create a drama and the ego runs riot to the extent where you get competitive over who was the best friend.
'I cared for him more'. 'No I did I went to the hospital more times than you'. Not very pleasant but just part of the process of the alcoholic ego. I felt it myself when he went, the trick was to think it for a while not say it and it soon left my head.
That's what my friend was getting annoyed about today. He asked me for the truth so I gave it to him. I said, 'Your disease is so cunning it will wrap itself around you, make you think you did more than anyone, so therefore deserve the praise and emotion, then it will make you hate everyone for saying empty platitudes and shedding crocodile tears and finally it will make you leave AA and hate everyone. Then you're fucked." I could only say that to a close friend who asked for the truth. I can spot the disease acting through people, frustratingly just not in myself.
People are people. All AA is, is a microcosm of every day life. When people get cancer, most people will say, 'oh that's awful' and then forget about you for the next 6 months. Unless they are close friends. It's not nice and can lead to all kinds of unpleasant emotions, but that's just the way it goes.
It even happens on a society level. Think when there is a huge disaster like an earthquake or tsunami. The news hypes it up, everyone says, 'oh that's awful, donates £5 to make themselves feel better and then forget about it 2 days later. It's the world we live in and it was fascinating to see that play out in my friend and in the circumstances around that poor sod's death recently.
Tip For The Day
If you have a bad back, injury or illness and in severe pain. If you don't feel particularly sociable or If you are a little miserable or short tempered, DO NOT EVER in any circumstances go to Asda and Sports Direct to get food and support bandages.
I did today and it was a disaster. Please I urge you, do not make the same mistakes I did. In Asda the woman on the till wouldn't serve me because I had 9 items. There was no sign to say '5 items or less' but she was adamant and Chinese with a limited grasp of the English Language. This is how the exchange went;
Me - Can I have 20 silk cut purple please (then I produce my basket)
Her - Gets the silk cut purple then looks at the basket like time had frozen - silence
Me - And a lucky dip lottery ticket please
Her - now handling the goods in the basket and inspecting - silence
Me (Thinking) what the fuck is going on here?
Her - After a pause of what seemed like minutes - I can't serve
Me - Why not?
Her - There is more than 5 items
Me - so?
Her - I only do 5 items or less
Me - But there is no sign saying that
Her - I only do 5 items
Me (thinking - is that her rule no matter where she serves she can only do a maximum of 5 items. Is it written into her contract? Is it a Chinese thing or am I being racist?) - Why?
Her - silence - I had actually stumped her on that question
Me - can you just get on with it you could have scanned them by now
Her - you go to next till
Me - No
Her - silence - You go
Me - No - you could have served the whole queue. Just do it please
Her - Me no like (unclear if she was talking about me, the situation or my shopping)
Me - I don't care please just do it
Her - Ok but me no like
Me - sigh
The whole process of scanning an extra 4 items took precisely 18 seconds. The whole process of her refusing took 1 minute 44 seconds. Madness.
Sports Direct was even better. It was like National Balloon Head Day. Not only did the security guards Body odour have enough clout to put you off going in the shop let alone steal from it. The staff couldn't understand the concept of a 'back support' or 'flip flop'. Plus when I finally found the said items they didn't feel it important to have anyone on the till for 10 minutes. A fundamental flaw in any retail business plan me thinks.
I was delighted to get home without letting off any firearms, abusing the balloon head staff or causing a scene. Phew.
Besides those remaining 7 episodes aren't going to watch themselves are they?
Together We Are Stronger
Nicholas Evans
No comments:
Post a Comment