My Stage is the World

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive

Apr 12

Best paw forward

by mystageistheworld

As most of you know, one of the topics I write about at work is pets. The following animal touched my heart when I wrote about Labradors a few weeks ago and today I came across his story again.

It just goes to show how little credit some people give animals. This story is so touching that every time I learn more about this gorgeous dog, I get a bit emotional.

Allen Parton is a Gulf War veteran who was injured in a car crash. His memory was affected and he was confined to a wheelchair. It was a struggle for him to get through the days as he couldn’t remember a large portion of his life, including marrying his wife Sandra and having his children.

Then one day Endal, a Labrador training to be an assistance dog came into his life, almost by chance. This remarkable dog showed Allen to hope and that he could live his life again.

Endal was the first dog to operate a chip and pin machine, ride the London Eye and use a cashpoint – truly incredible achievements for a dog.

When Allen was knocked out of his wheelchair, Endal placed him in the recovery position, gave him his mobile phone and went for help.

During his lifetime, Endal travelled widely, making public appearances and gaining fans and admirers across the nation. He was voted Dog of the Millennium and received the animal equivalent of the George Cross.

Endal passed away in 2009 at the age of 13, but is remembered by all as a heroic and loyal dog who gave hope to those who had lost faith.

Endal and Allen’s full story can be found at: http://www.endal.co.uk/ and a film of Endal’s life is due to be released soon.

RIP Endal – Dog of the Millennium

The Glad Game

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Apr 12

Eggcelent Easter

by mystageistheworld

The Easter holidays mean that hundreds of people think it’s OK to travel on the tubes at rush hour. I work near Victoria and of course Billy Elliot and Wicked matinees both finish about 5.30 and they all try to cram onto the tube. Children hate crowds and parents are forcing these poor little kids onto packed trains full of stressed businessmen. The answer? Follow the advice of the ticket man and WALK. Oh wait, April Showers…

7.30am – posh man tells his colleague that his house is indeed close to the station. In fact after it was built in the 1800s the original owner had the station purposefully built, so that he could get to London quickly. Yes – Haslemere is home to the largest community of First Class commuters. Sadly I am not one of them.

8.30am (Waterloo) – train announcer “…and I can hear the Westbound train coming in now, which is going to… oh no wait, that’s going the wrong way. Oh here it comes… no – yes! Stanmore ladies and gentlemen!”

8.40am (Green Park) – I almost get whacked in the face by a rucksack so do a backbend on the escalator. Two people applaud me and someone wolf whistles

8.50am (Victoria) – people are actually asleep in blankets outside the Apollo waiting for it to open so they can buy tickets to see Wicked

5.50pm (Bond Street) – I go up a deserted escalator only to find myself walking into a sea of disgruntled commuters who are waiting for it to become a down escalator so they can get to the tube

6pm (Embankment) – Evening Standard man makes everyone’s day by talking Cockney rhyming slang and shouting “Free Standad laydees and gents”

6.05pm (Embankment) – it starts snowing which surprises me until I realise it’s actually a mixture of blossom and some lady’s cigarette ash

6.15pm (Charing Cross) – some man trips over nothing and falls spectacularly in a heap on the floor, only to sit up in hysterics

New experiences

  • I had my first burger from GBK – lamb (which I swapped for chicken) something burger with houmous and cucumber raika. I liked it!
  • I bought lunch from the canteen – chicken risotto at a bargain price of £1.80
  • I had my hair cut
  • I wore gold jewellery

Commuter Corner

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Apr 12

Auld Lang Syne

by mystageistheworld

Lest old acquaintance be forgot…

So yesterday (in keeping with my productive spell) I signed up to the London 10k. I paid the full price of £50 for guaranteed entry and I get three ‘free T-shirts’ (as opposed to paying £32.50 for a ballot and getting no T-shirts – I win). My charity are excited and I’m all set to mentor a child after work.

All this was done on a morning’s commute.

When I got to work I had a lovely surprise as an old friend I hadn’t seen for about 2 years texted me about meeting for coffee. We arranged to meet that evening and had a good old natter. This has inspired me to text friends I haven’t seen for ages and sort out a meet up! I advise everyone to do it – what’s the worst that can happen?

This evening I met another old friend (who I haven’t seen since she ran down the hill to say goodbye to me the day I moved to Brussels) and while I was waiting I did some good ol’ people watching. London is excellent for this as it’s so cosmopolitan – I wonder what people say about me?

We booked a table at a fab pizza place (half an hour before we wanted the table – technology is wonderful) and went for a quick drink.

Being female we made the classic error of each ordering a Crabbie’s ginger beer. If we’d been men downing a pint in less than 30 minutes would not have been a problem, but as it was we had to leave with our glasses half empty (or half full).

When we got to the restaurant they apologised and said it would be another 15 minutes. So what did we do? We ran back to the pub to reclaim our half-finished drinks. Chavtastic!

Then we ate pizza, which was fabbity-fab and well worth the extra 15 minutes wait. Of course, we could have shared a pizza… but we managed to eat the toppings (the best bit) and have plans to go back for the Banoffee Pizza – a concoction of banana and toffee on a sweet pizza base.

Yes please!

Sunshine and Light

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Apr 9

When I am old I shall wear purple

by mystageistheworld

I’ve decided to dedicate this blog to my grandma. She really is a marvel and an inspiration to us all. She’s 89 in June and, because of the steep hill where my parents live, is pretty much housebound. Her balance is poor and she can’t use her triangular walker on the hill so unless one of us drives her to the centre, which is flat, she can’t go out.

However, she’s always positive, no matter what. If you ask her how she is, she usually replies “Oh I can’t complain, I’ve got my health and my wonderful family, I’m really very lucky.”

It makes you realise that you need to make the most of life and appreciate what you have. She’s got some wonderful stories about when she went trekking in the Himalayas, her life as a midwife and the many travels she did by herself after she was widowed in 1987.

So I’m taking a leaf out of my grandma’s book and appreciating what I have.

To do this, I threw away a load of crap that I don’t want/need. Most of it will go to the charity shop, so hopefully someone else will enjoy my old rubbish. I also packed up all my ‘house’ stuff into two boxes and put them in my parents’ loft. I’m desperate to finally get to use my spotty things, but don’t want to risk them getting broken in a shared house. This gives me more room for all the new clothes I bought this weekend.

I even managed to be positive about the vile weather we’re having – we needed water after all (hosepipe ban? HA!), I didn’t have to go out in it and hopefully tomorrow it won’t rain so I can wear my suede boots,

Everyone’s saying I’m a much nicer person recently but all I hope is that when I’m nearly 90 I’ll be able to say that I’m healthy and happy, surrounded by people who love me.

If this video doesn’t make you smile, then you’re dead inside!

The Glad Game

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Apr 6

Food for thought

by mystageistheworld

For a 3 day week I’ve been a busy bee – watching everything and everyone closely. As a writer, observation is crucial as anything could be a potential lead, give rise to a story or article. You see people who could easily be caricatured for a book, overhear anecdotes you’ll treasure forever and share moments with fellow passengers. I hate to admit it, but there are good sides to commuting.

I was eavesdropping on the train and overheard a man explaining to his friend how he and his wife weren’t having children. He wanted them, but she didn’t… yet. He loved her so much, that he was sacrificing his dream to be a daddy. It really made me think. Yes, I want kids – some day – but people who don’t want children shouldn’t be judged. There are so many unwanted children in the world that it’s good if people who don’t want them, don’t have them.

In the Evening Standard yesterday, there was an article about poor children going to school starving. It really touched my heart. I needed to get involved. I’ve spent most of my life battling with food, obsessing over it, avoiding it and using it as both a punishment and a reward. These children have nothing.

I’ve offered my support to Kids Company and am going to see about volunteering when I have days off; they will also be my charity for any races I undertake this year.

I love children and they all deserve a good start in life. I know what it’s like to be hungry: you’re tired and grumpy and you just can’t concentrate. Donating money’s all very well, but I want to be useful and see the effects first hand.

Someone suggested I ran for NEDA, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Yes they deserve support, but I’m trying to forget that part of my life and move on. It’s always going to be there lingering, but my time should go to those that are suffering undeservedly and have no choice.

Sponsor me at http://www.justgiving.com/MCH4KidsCo

The Glad Game

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Apr 6

Tubular

by mystageistheworld

WEEKLY WONDERS

7.45am – A man in a suit walks past me, turns and says “That’s a great book – are you enjoying it?”

8.45am (Westminster) – Someone blocks the staircase and everyone starts tutting and rolling their eyes.

5pm (Upton Park) – Mark Noble briefly chats about why I’m being filmed outside the West Ham stadium.

5.40pm (Victoria) – Eight Americans in convoy, with at least one huge suitcase each, get in everyone’s way as they have been waiting for a tube that has room for them for over half an hour… they were still waiting as I squeezed onto the tube.

5.50pm (Embankment) – A man wearing a Baby on Board badge(?) gives me his seat on the tube.

6pm (Temple) – Market stall owner struts up and down offering fresh fruit and vegetables whilst parading the fact that he is scratching his balls.

NEW EXPERIENCES

The sample sale at work – I bought £35 worth of stuff for £2

A telegraph pole painted brown with fake branches and leaves on it

Strawberry and white chocolate popcorn from M&S.

Commuter Corner

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Apr 4

Reach out for the sunrise

by mystageistheworld

When I was six I had a wonderful teacher. She taught us about the Titanic, Penny Farthings, birds and the Duke of Wellington. Formidable she definitely was, but not in the sense of Miss Trunchball. My school report that year was, as ever, glowing, but one comment has stayed with me. She said that I needed to loosen my corset strings and relax.

Twenty years later I’m finally taking her advice. I’ve taken life far too seriously, worrying about this and that and not embracing the moment. So this is my quest to find the moment, take it and catch it. No regrets. Life’s too short to live by a rigid schedule, planning your life around age or incident.

So here we are – I’m embarking on a journey of self-discovery, although I’m not trying to find myself. I want to find everything else, open my eyes and see things. No judging, but delve beneath the stereotypes and pre-conceptions of people.

I’m starting to catch myself before I think things I have no right to think. I’ve had a lot to deal with recently and I know it made me out to be a horrible person, out of control, crazy. Maybe I am like that, but hopefully my challenge will help me to start letting my hair down.

I got through the last six months by laughing at everything, because it was either that or cry. Now I have no need to cry, but I can still try to see the funny side of life, and laugh about it.

Goals for April:

  • Write at least one chapter of my book
  • Find a drama society and join it
  • Start ice-skating again
  • Sign up for a 10k race
  • Start training for said race
  • Do something that scares me

This week I’ve had dressing on my salad and eaten mayonnaise. I still don’t like either, but I tried them. I’m also enjoying my family – it’s not perfect, and at times quite dysfunctional, but it’s mine and I intend to make the most of it.

Wish me luck!

Sunshine and Light

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