Love It

When you're taking steps to move forward you actually have to go up in your imaginary helicopter and go back to the past.  For God's sake don't land the bloody helicopter and get stuck there though!  Just fly over look down and see what happened, feel what you felt and then get the hell out of there again. I was doing this when looking at why I feel like I do about someone. Why do I resent them so much? And I discovered the term "parentified child" - yes it exists! One classic example of this was when I started High School.  I was quite comfortable at my local school, I had some friends and while I was far from fitting in, I knew my place. I knew I would do well at High School and was looking forward to it.  No, I got sent to another school.  Nobody from my year group was going to that school. Nobody. So I was being taken at a time of family crisis from a comfort zone to a whole new uncharted territory. Oddly I did this with my kids, but there were 2 of th...

I've discovered in the last 4 years that bike riding is a very liberating feeling. I don't use headphones so there's often just the rhythmic sound of the wheels and the trees around me. Yes there's traffic, but that's comforting because it means I'm not alone. So now I'll come clean, I don't ride a bike. I ride a trike. A huge 3 wheel contraption that weighs 25kg and I can only ride to and from my house because of it. I can't pop it on the roof of the car and take it somewhere to ride somewhere different. I'm a giant mouse on a wheel, or to be precise 3 wheels.  I get odd looks from some who think a fit healthy person should be on 2 wheels - like a "normal" person. I get surprised comments when I get off and they find I'm not disabled.  I do get some compliments about how cool it is. And I do genuinely love riding it and I'm very grateful to have it. But why a bloody trike???????? Simple, I can't ride a bike.  Now ...

So we've become the sandwich generation. The meat in the sandwich of a genetic luncheon platter. How? When did this happen? I had a deep and meaningful discussion with the ham to my cheese this morning. We talked about lots of funnies before hitting some serious stuff.  Sandwiches. You see we are children, but we are parents. These other generations are the bread that make the sandwich. They are both absorbed with what they need, what they are, and generally consumed with whether they are white, brown, 5 seed, rye, or gluten free! They can be thick, thin, toast, even rolls really. Yet, while they are consumed with themselves, without us what are they? A lump of substance that lacks strength, that can be sliced, torn, used to soak up the spillls, toasted or croutoned! They are not a sandwich. And now think of a sandwich. The variety, the flavour, it is almost a life force. You can live on sandwiches. 3 meals a day - a bacon and egg sarnie for breakfast, a smoked salmon, cre...