Life is a movie – “Now, before I begin the lesson…”

“….. will those of you who are playing in the match this afternoon move your clothes down onto the lower peg immediately after lunch, before you write your letter home, if you’re not getting your hair cut, unless you’ve got a younger brother who is going out this weekend as the guest of another boy, in which case, collect his note before lunch, put it in your letter after you’ve had your hair cut, and make sure he moves your clothes down onto the lower peg for you…..”

This was the speech from Monty Python’s cinematic picture masterpiece, the Meaning of Life, in the Growth and Learning chapter. I think it really describes our complex modern life. The rest of the scene has nothing to do with this, but is hysterically funny and will be familiar to those who went to a boys’ school in the old days! Have a watch!

This week’s post will build to a dramatic conclusion with, perhaps, a totally unique real life situation!

Back to our lives being complex. Many things are often made to be this way, quite unnecessarily, for many reasons.

How can we avoid this complexity? You can make little changes that ease life. For example, just don’t take any rubbish or poppycock from anyone. If you disagree with someone, be polite, but firm! I have always done this and it has never let me down. Many people use the fact that you may not react to their challenge or their statements as being perceived power! Don’t be afraid, act.

In the 1970’s as a short lad attending a UK boys’ school, I was bullied. However, I didn’t need counselling. Back then, we just managed it. My managing it involved taking it for a few weeks and then smashing the bully’s nose all across his face! He never expected the immediate retaliation. I was never bullied again.

Some of my readers might be recoiling in horror and saying, “that’s no way to deal with it, Lee”.

Err, I am sorry, you are 500% wrong! It absolutely worked.

You see how I was firm with both the bully and any potential upset reader there? It’s exactly the same approach guys!

Another example…

I was talking with someone about a subject the other day, and he expressed the complexity, or more precisely the amount he felt he had to do with little resource in a particular organisation. This is the second rule of life, don’t try to be everything to everyone! Don’t over complicate. Just select key things and focus on them. No more, no less. I have often heard it as first things first, second things never.

This is free training readers! I should charge! Lord Bragg absolutely would!

So what’s actually been going on this week in my life movie!

Well, I have spent some time in Her Majesty’s NHS!! Full story, hopefully in a few weeks time!!!!! I was being a bit of a pin cushion, you know blood tests and all that.

Comment from Nurse,

”You have lovely veins”

Although I had the urge to reply with…

“well thank you, you have lovely ……”

I restrained my inner Lord Bragg!

I have been renewing those pesky, but vital, things known as insurances, this week. I enjoy doing it, and remember always do it 1 month in advance. You have the negotiating power then, readers.

So 1 car and 1 Pet insurance done!! I rule!!!

Jean continues to make some interesting food, including this example from Nigella Bragg’s Food from another Planet Book.

It’s a squash! Although it does look like the sort of thing that might have a flesh-eating creature in it that jumps out at you!

This I was reminded, this week, of about how technology has changed everything during the filming of my life. Are there any of you out there who remember?

”Ring three times when you arrive”

Whenever I go out in the car, I tell Jean exactly when I arrive at a place and/or leave. Today, of course, it’s easy with texting, social media and email etc. But back when I was young, we had a more primitive form of notification. We used to phone home on the corded phone and just let it ring three times! It was free as well.

I nearly forget, I promised you a climax to this post with my ongoing, wacky (but real) life story…

Keeping with the simple decisions theme of this week’s post. Why, exactly, was I having blood tests in hospital?

Well, yes as suspected in my post The Beat goes on…, I do now have to have heart bypass fast! Not being content with only having an incurable disease (MND) I have now been dealt the cards of heart disease!!!

In a visit to my GP, about 2 months ago I had to insist on referral to a specialist about my suspicions. I asked him why he was initially reluctant to do the referral.

”Well, If they did find a problem Lee, would you get it fixed, considering the MND?”

Well, the answer was a no brainer. I said refer me please.

Following several blunt conversations with my Neurologist and now new Cardiologist, the following emerged..

1) My MND is relatively slow, yes incurable, but slow.

2) I will almost certainly have a heart attack, serious, over the next couple of years as well as have considerable fatigue symptoms (which might not be due to MND).

So despite my campaigning for awareness of MND, I might be taken down by common or garden heart disease!

But of course the reality is that, if caught early, heart disease can be fixed these days. We need to make the same progress with MND and being killed by a boring old heart attack is going to do nothing for MND awareness! So I have to have the surgery, folks!

Adding to this, it’s now winter in the UK, so let’s get it done, recover and get on with life. Yes, this is going to be a challenge, but it’s worth a go.

Readers, I might just be the first person, although I am happy to be proved wrong, readers, to have MND and then go on to need heart bypass surgery. And you never know, if I come through this, there just might be an improvement in certain aspects of my life!

My next post will be after my operation.

Best wishes readers.  I hope to be back online soon, then the movie will start!