Happy birthday to me (yesterday)
Published: Mon, 03/17/14
It was my birthday yesterday and I was fifty five. My friend Derek
rang me yesterday evening to wish me a happy birthday and remind me
that I had caught up with him again, between my birthday and his in
early April we are the same age. We met in the scouts when I was
eleven and he was twelve and we have been friends ever since. In
the call Derek said that he didn't know where the time had
gone, it didn't really seem any time since we were in the
scouts together.
As one gets older birthdays are a chance to think about where one
is in life. The first thing to say about getting older is that it
isn't so bad when you consider the only alternative. That said
I have a great deal else to be thankful for too. I am in good
health and fit, my knees can be a bit dodgey sometimes but I am
trying so new exercises which are helping a lot, and really I am in
pretty good shape. I have a relationship with someone rather
wonderful and we were able to tell each other how much we loved
each other yesterday and mean it. We have a great place to live,
it isn't ours but we may be here for a long time, if we moved I
know we would find somewhere just as nice. I have good friends and
a good relationship with my mother and brother and sister. My
father died in 2001 but we were on very good terms in his last few
years so I miss him still but have no regrets except that he never
met Venetia or saw what I have been working on in recent years.
Going back to preaching over the past year has deepened my
connection with the church and my faith. I took a family service
yesterday and afterwards I was asked if I would speak at a special
event planned for July, I was told it would need someone special
and I was the person for the job.
I have a great deal of freedom. This is largely because I am self
employed and do the work I want to do for people who I want to work
for. It isn't always easy and I have made my fair share of
mistakes over the years. The important thing is that I am
responsible for my own destiny. I did try school teaching for a
while, in some ways it should have been the right choice for me but
I cannot really tolerate being part of a system where conformity is
more important than creativity and results. During our
conversation yesterday Derek asked me if I had thought about
becoming a full time Methodist Minister and the answer is no for
the same reason I am no longer a school teacher. I admire people
who can work successfully within systems and big organisations, it
just isn't for me.
Last but not least I am developing a project which has been a dream
for many years. I mean the Stav Centre of course. Yes it does
seem a bit crazy to be opening a martial arts centre at my age.
Chinese saying apparently goes. "Best time to plant tree,
twenty years ago. Second best time, now." And in a sense I
did plant the tree over twenty years ago when I started training
with Ivar and then moved on to teaching myself. The Stav Centre
project really would not make any sense if I didn't have over
twenty years experience of organising and teaching. I hope I have
learned something in this time.
So here I am, already a day towards being fifty six but plenty of
reasons to believe that the next year will bring even more reasons
to be grateful.
regards
Graham
PS If you haven't seen the pole weapons training video you have
until midnight tonight. (well realistically first thing tomorrow
morning) before I move it to the members only area. So if you are
not a member of Ice and Fire but would like to see what I can do
with a big stick, even at my advanced age go to
http://www.iceandfire.org and have a look.