A Great Success (Over GAD).
A Great Success!
Gor blimey … ere we go again. We were going to tell you about our latest trip to “ee by gum country”. But, instead, his mind has been hijacked, and he wants you to know about his Great Success. Just over a week ago.
What I am about to tell you, with a few pictures and music chucked in, may inspire you. Or leave you thinking … whattttt? For this is the world of GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) again and the GREAT SUCCESS. Here is the catalyst.
Bank Card & Business Card.
Two stories. Forty years apart.
1) Bobby and his Ex loved Cliff Richard and the Shadows. They went to their reunion in the seventies, which shows you just how long they have been around! Tradition was that the girls had the hots for Cliff (and still do. Same girls. Wider and greyer).
“Living Doll” with Cliff and the wonderfully anarchic Rik Mayall and the rest of the “Young Ones”. Ha ha ha ha ha. They don’t make em like that any more.
Blokes combed their quiffs and settled for the Shads…
“Apache” was top of the hit parade for five weeks in 1960.
They had £1 standing tickets at the London Palladium that Bobby had bought that morning, going by motor bike to the box office in London. He was actually “working” at the L & G and told them he was looking for a file in the basement … in Surrey!
The (temporarily Surrey-located!!) London Palladium
The evening came. Excitement growing as they clambered into that lovely Cortina and set off for London to park on Waterloo Bridge. As they always did in those days. Free!
Bobby’s “Racing” Cortina. Hahaha!
They loved that Cortina 1500. Bobby’s first car. Tarted up to look like Jim Clark’s racing Lotus Cortina. Son Andrew was so impressed. He is seen to the left in the picture above – with a stray dog!
They look the same but Jim Clark, world champion racing driver with a real Lotus, set the touring car racing world on fire.
Jim Clark’s Proper racing Cortina!
Within minutes of getting in the car, Bobby could hear a FUNNY NOISE.
It seemed to get louder. “Can you hear that?”
“No”
Can you hear that?
“No”
“Can you hear that”
“NO, NO and NO!
It seemed worse going round right handed bends. So, to check, he made a few extra right hand bends on a dead straight A3, with people in the car screaming he was trying to kill them .
Waterloo Bridge. Phewwww. Bit of The Kinks for a break.
Standing up, you jived in the aisles. Should have been great. But… would the car get them home? It was all he could think about. Not even FBI could solve his anxiety.
The Palladium came and went. So did Cliff and the Shads.
They got home. The next day, he pumped the tyres up and the noise went! As did a little bit of his sanity.
________
2) In 2017, the problem was real. He was catching the 08.58 to Blackfriars for an Al Anon convention near Russell Square. Check… GAD sufferers are always checking. … Wallet, phone, “Courage to Change”. Check debit card. OHHH NOOO. It’s not there. No time to look or he will miss the train. Calm down it must be here for here it was when he used it last on the phone. (WASNT IT?) Just go. Just go, practise mindfulness.
Courage to Change book (left) and Al-Anon poster.
This is an opportunity to see how far he had come. Read “Courage to Change”. The daily reader for Al Anon members in their fight to recover from the effects of someone else’s drinking. But equally and mindfully appropriate for all walks of life. Please note: Alcohol Awareness Week 13-19 November 2017.
Sitting on the train looking out the window. Concentrating on the world out there he gradually calmed down. Mindfully. By the time he got to the convention, Bobby had completely forgotten. Distraction is another tool. If you suffer and just sit there it will inevitable get worse. Meeting good friends you trust, as he does at Al Anon, is another way of seeking recovery.
The journey home got him back to Dorking earlier than expected. He had a choice. He could go home and look for the card. Or get fish and chips and walk with the thousands a couple of miles through the woods to Brockham Bonfire.
Brockham Bonfire as the torches arrive on a full moon.
Look closely…
… Can you see Guy about to be incinerated?
Ooohhhh… Aaaahhhhh…
The final blast of what is claimed to be the biggest firework display in the UK.
The moral is that there is nothing wrong with you. But you do react to situations in a far more negative way than the norm. With acceptance and practice, you can lessen the symptoms. And then congratulate yourself. Nobody else knows. Unless you write a blog about it!
For just one day he had beaten GAD. It was a GREAT SUCCESS. And he learned again from the experience.”
Lighting candles for Diddley, Amber and Wendy
I joined Bobby, who had been invited to the All Saints Service at St Mary Magdalen by our lady vicars. Even met Roofus, who performed wonders in raising money for the new church roof a few years ago. Some bears have charisma. If you have such a bear, I am always looking for opportunities to meet clever bears. Like me.
St Mary Magdalene, South Holmwood.
With Roofus Bear.
All Saints Sunday, on the first Sunday of November, is celebrated by churches having a service at which we remember those we miss. Whether by bereavement, estrangement, whatever reason that we no longer have contact with our loved ones. Their names are read out and those who love them come forward to light a candle. Bobby did it three times for Diddley, Amber and Wendy, Bobby’s sister.
It was a very thoughtful service. Not sad, but pensive maybe, where we remembered with affection and joy, rather than heartbreak. It’s a very positive service. Followed by tea and cakes in the church room, much to Bobby’s delight.
Lighting Candles for Diddley, Amber and Wendy.
Not forgetting Diddley’s Light.
RIP Amber. You left us in style.
Order of service: Funeral and Thanksgiving for the life of Amber Rowlands 1972-2017. Christ Church Spitalfields Tuesday 7 November 2017, 3.30pm Reverend Andy Rider.
May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you guide your way on.
Well,didn’t Bobby do well to have a “go faster” looking Mark 1 Cortina 1500 for a first car. It took my quite a while to attain to my Mark 1 Cortina 1500, which was light blue. I actually took it in part exchange for a newer Vauxhall Victor as I was about to relocate to Pembrokeshire to work on construction sites and so didn’t want anything too posh. That said, it served me while in spite of a coming together with an artic on a roundabout at Bridgend (before the M4 reached Swansea). Sadly the camshaft went at just over the 100,000 miles (the first car I owned to attain such a high mileage). However my younger brother had just totalled his 1300 Mark 2 but the engine was OK and transferred to my Mark 1, so the only Mark 1 1300 Cortina was born.
The Mark 1s were brilliant cars and worth a packet now.
Happy days!
I love the excuse of going to the basement to look for a file, while you went up to London to buy your ticket! Genius… I’m going to use it.
Amber’s funeral was on my Dad’s birthday.. he’s quite ill at the moment. Thanks for sharing how Al-Anon Family Groups helps.. and about alcohol awareness week.