I’m a bit feeling sorry for myself - I’ve got a dodgy belly thing going on and it’s not the nicest.
Not from food, from kayaking in bad water.
It’s the artificial whitewater site that does it to me, and I’ve just realised.
Which is a shame because even though it rains a lot up here - sometimes the most consistent water is that which is pumped around and around that little concrete river.
And the water goes around and around and around.
Which you can imagine means it has the potential to pick up some nasty bugs that seem to love me very much right now.
Fresh is indeed best.
Anyhoo - this is what I’ve learnt:
Being embattled with demons in my belly and bowel means I’ve realised once again what makes the difference between handing life’s ups and downs with style or with massive amounts of drama.
Whatever life throws at you, the ability to take nothing seriously helps everything a thousand fold.
I could easily have gotten into the poor me’s at 3am this morning as my body seemed intent on turning itself inside out -
But then I realised how intensely I was getting into my own suffering.
Taking a step back was a good thing.
Didn’t change the facts, just made them lighter.
I learnt this from my meditation teacher, who was a former Marine in the Vietnam War -
He told me once that he knew if he got out of Vietnam alive he would never ever take anything seriously again.
This sense of perspective was probably one of the things that saved him from being overwhelmed by the intensity of flashbacks and what not …
Just the knowing that they would pass, and he was still alive.
That no matter what life threw at him, he was alive.
He takes every opportunity to laugh, to smile, to remember how good he - and all of us - have it.
It’s good to be around.
It's good to remember, because even though everything isn't 100% with me, it makes such a difference.
So no matter what, remember what you have.
Take care, Arjuna
PS - I’m still going to make it to the CHOICE movie tonight.
See you there?
6pm Darlington Odeon.
For tickets, and trailer:
https://tickets.demand.film/event/1214
Or just turn up, I'm sure there will be a free ticket there
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