Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

Most people I know are aware of this fun old (1979) song, written by Eric Idle for Monty Python. How many do know the actual words? What about extra words?

When you’re stuck on the World stage,
With lots of loonies half your age,
And everything is starting to go wrong.
It’s too late to run away,
You might as well just stay,
Especially when they play your silly song

These were just added in the 2012 closing ceremony at Summer Olympics. It's funny - I think it is! It reminds me of my stroke. Often, I don't think of my stroke as being my past. In fact, my future is now open - because I have a long way to go to get back to my history. The more I find out about it, the more people I meet, the more people I talk to, this is just okay. Just fine. Just.... well, dandy!

This month started with a blog which seemed just a little disappointed with my history - or my future, but my last week sped me up into my future. My calendar looked pretty full.

On Monday I registered for the 2015 Fun Run for cancer, telling my daughter and daughter-in-law that I was walking/running for their mum / mum-in-law who had died from cancer earlier this year. Later that morning I went to the Dolphins gym and pool, and have a free 3-day meeting next week so I will probably join. I told Lilly at CBRT afterwards.This pool is a 25m, which I can remember almost as much as my old pool at Algester. I think I can grow into these things! I belonged to Les Mills gym in NZ and was very Combat-fit. I just loved it. The Dolphins doesn't do Combat, but has some stuff that I could quite possibly join in and enjoy.

I met Dane at CBRT on Tuesday so he could check me out for the reference to CRS, finding me a couple of days work in some sort of job that I might feel capable for. I hope this will work! Later that morning I went into the Redcliffe Courthouse to see the JP for a signature on my book contract, and was told that the (huge) crowd here today was waiting for child matters which I suppose the Court might be hearing. I left there pretty fast.

Wednesday was an arrangement with Anne to go to Eumundi market, since neither of us had done that for a long time. I remember going to it a couple of years ago and buying some lovely pants, but hadn't been near it for years before that, when they were still an "old" market. This place seems to be huge, and so many stalls have clothes... too many wonderful places to look through! It was just great that the sky was clouded, at least the morning, because it was just a little cooler than a full market and a sunshine sky makes it. We stopped for a bit of food and, after nearly 3 hours, decided we needed to leave.

The Harrids cafe in North Lake was the venue for a Stroke Club coffee on Thursday. This was my very first event with this club, and I loved it! There were so many people, who I had never previous met, who had also had a stroke, and some were a lot faded than me. This was one place where I could miss my language without feeling I had lost something; I could forget my words and think longer about them without anyone adding a word in; having a coffee and scone which just about everyone else was enjoying! By the time I got back to Redcliffe CBRT I was happy to see Lilly, and I told her how "losing" her was not, by now, really worrying me. I am sure it was the Stroke Club which caused that - I feel great! Bridie also tested me at the end of my speech pathology, and was happy enough with me. That was probably just an "oh dear" with Bridie, who had been out of the office for quite a while that I had been there.

By Friday morning I got into Redcliffe Art Gallery for my first morning of volunteering. It was very quiet, but that didn't worry me. Getting in there and feeling my surround and meeting people was just what should happen. My volunteer co-worker was Inge, who has been at the gallery for a while and knows it and will be teaching me every Friday.

Morayfield on Saturday morning was for my next appointment with Dr Jane. Last week I had a very hard time finding their office because my map print out was incorrect. I had been 10 minutes late, and I think that sort of wound me up. On this Saturday I had felt very calm, and I remember talking with Dr Jane about my childhood. I have so many great memories about that, which I now seem to have open and earthly in my memory. Is that truly owned by my stroke?

And finally after Morayfield I returned back into the Redcliffe Art Gallery to hear one of the artists, William Yang, talk about his photography. He is a wonderful fellow who has done his photography for such a long time (which the gallery manager introduced). Our displace only has three framed photos and one TV with a live film, but William Yang can be read about through Felix Media.

So this was my remarkable week which was full every day with things I had to do to feel pretty good about my future. I received an email this week from the QIRC about my Notice of Listing with the Workers' Compensation Regulator. I have no thoughts that I might just lose this - or just win this. I know the history of this case, and I have to present to people who don't know me. I have to ensure I don't lose my future if I don't win. In the week which has gone onwards, with futures in it for me, I don't have any problems about this matter. I just need to remember - I already have my future, whether or not it involves my history.

Pretty good, eh?