Well, it’s that time again. I knew it would happen at some point and they’ve finally caught up with me. I always think I have nothing interesting to say and you may well agree when you’ve read this!
I’ve been working at NRAS now for 8 months. Where did that time go? It doesn’t seem like 5 minutes since I arrived. I could now go on to tell you about all the places I’ve been since joining, like the launch meetings and various other meetings connected to NRAS and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Is that what you really want to read about though? Does it matter to you where I’ve been, who I’ve seen and what my schedule has been like? I doubt it. Do you really want to know that April and May have been totally crazy for us. What with holidays, bank holidays, launch meetings and generally a busy month for posters and fliers my feet don’t appear to have touched the ground. Perhaps I shouldn’t say that either, after all you really don’t want excuses and so we try our hardest not to let any of these things interfere with the smooth running of the department.
So where does that leave my blog?
Most evenings I sign on and read the Healthunlocked blogs and the forum. I like the variety of topics and reading the questions and answers but I also enjoy the social aspect and the funny threads that occasionally run.
So, when thinking in terms of writing something a bit different for my blog I thought I might say something that wasn’t necessarily what was expected. After all, in life we don’t always get what we want, and what we think we want isn’t always what we really need or want either.
That triggered a memory from my childhood that I thought I’d share with you.
I was very young, perhaps three of four, and we went away for a few days. Apart from the first night and following morning I really can’t remember anything else about the break at all. I’d been given some spending money and it was burning a hole in my pocket. I just couldn’t wait to go to the shop to buy something with my own money. I’d already seen a shop near to where we were staying but it was closed when we got there. I was duly promised that we could walk to it first thing in the morning. I was so excited that I could hardly sleep.
I was, of course, up at the crack of dawn eager to see what delights I could get with my money. It seemed forever waiting for the time to pass before the shop opened. Eventually we set off and sure enough the shop was open. I then discovered that it had been open an hour before we got there! I was so cross as I could have spent my money a lot earlier! Something I was never allowed to forget for the next twenty odd years!
I was a sensible child. Well, we all like to think we are don’t we? I didn’t buy sweets or a small toy, no, I decided that I needed a purse to put my money in and keep it safe. I bought a lovely little purse with a nice zip across the top. I was overjoyed with my purchase and proudly carried it back to our accommodation in it’s nice brown paper bag to keep it clean. Then came the time for using it. I carefully took it out of the bag and unzipped it. I opened it up to expose the empty interior, put my little hand in my pocket for my money so that I could put it in my purse for safe keeping. I think you’re way ahead of me on this aren’t you? You’re right, I had no money left. I had nothing to put in my purse as I’d spent it all buying the purse! So, as we often find in life, what we think we need isn’t what we really need at all.
I’m still a bit like it and perhaps some of you are too? How often have you bought a bargain at the sales that you’ve never worn? Do we ever learn some of the lessons of life?
This blog probably isn’t the blog you thought I’d write either but I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.
What I’m looking forward to at the moment is meeting some of the people who write so regularly on the forum and Healthunlocked, and those that I communicate with, either via email or phone, at the Co-ordinators training conference and the 10th Birthday Anniversary lunch next month. I hope you’ve all bought your tickets as I’d love to see you there.
Sue
Volunteer Network Co-ordinator
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