Two Funerals And An Appointment (No Weddings)

Hello, dear readers,

It’s been a busy old week, especially considering it’s only Wednesday. It’s not even looking like it’s going to let up that much in the next couple of days, either.

No that I’m complaining all that much. I mean it makes the time fly on by (It’s almost the end of January already?!?!?) and I guess it keeps me out of trouble. The truth is that the last three days in particular, have seen trying times.

I’ll explain.

We’ll start with Monday, a day I’ve been dreading for the best part of two weeks.

This was the day of the video call. Part of the forced move from heritage benefits to Universal Credits. If you’re a reader of the blog then you might remember me stressing about it in last week’s offering. If not you can read about it here.

Sleepless In Mirfield
I said in that post that I had a choice, whether to stew in my own juices or to leave it be until I could do something about it—good advice that I just couldn’t take.

In fact, as the time of the commitments interview neared I became uncharacteristically agitated, something that led to a couple of nights of disturbed sleep both for me and for Tina, my superspouse. I guess that’s part of the fun of sharing a bed.

Still the morning arrived. I freed up some room in our spare room, where it was quieter, logged in to the call, checked my microphone and my camera and waited.

And waited

Nearly 15 minutes later than stated my Work Coach logged on and the dreaded call began in earnest

I really needn’t have worried.

The Commitments
Despite the appointment being called a Commitments Appointment and the person I was speaking to being a Work Coach, there was no discussion of Work Journals, Applications, interviews, or any of the stuff that would probably have had an amazingly detrimental state on my health.

Instead, there was a 5 minute chat to see if there were any changes in my two chronic conditions (you don’t get better from Spina Bifida or Multiple Sclerosis) to confirm the date of my last health assessment, and to let me know that nothing would change, I wouldn’t have any further appointments, and it was up to me to inform them of any changes.

So, stress relieved, Tense, nervous headache gone. A headache that may possibly have not occurred with better messaging (words like Commitments and Work Coach are not conducive).

And so onto the rest of the week and more pleasant activities, yeah?

Well, not if you’ve read the blog post’s title.

Key Worker
The first funeral of the week was yesterday. In fairness I didn’t actually attend this one. Instead I hit a local coffee shop while Tina fulfilled her promised role of ivory tinkler for someone we didn’t actually know, something asked of her by the local Salvation Army Officers.

It was a task she readily agreed to but, as the SA still holds some negative reinforcements when it comes to her mental health (hello to the tag team of Depression and Anxiety), but as with me and the UC appointment, as the time came near the anxiety ramped up.

In the end, despite my offers to accompany her (not in the musical sense) she strode bravely into the mouth of the beast and, despite playing in the wrong key, faced her worries head on and overcame them. Something I was and am proud of her for.

Funeral number two came today, and that was once that called for more of the traditional mourning role.

This was the final send off of our next door neighbour, a lady of 89 who died on New Years Eve.

It’s fair to say that, despite living next door for nearly ten years we didn’t know Brenda as well as we could, but as the eulogy unfolded we learned a lot. This was plainly a lady who lived a full life. A life of adventure. A life of grabbed opportunity. For me, her story underlined something you’ve doubtless heard before.

Je Ne Regrette?
Tomorrow is promised to no-one so if you want to paraglide (as Brenda did) then do it. Dance. Eat the delicious food. Get yourself on holiday if you can afford it. Live. If you’re going to have any regrets, don’t make them about missed opportunities. Do it. Now. Live!

It’s a lesson I fully intend to learn, although at the risk of hypocrisy, my fatigue level and the fact Tina has a hospital appointment tomorrow she’ll need a lift to probably means I will have to wait until tomorrow to honour it fully, despite treating myself to a fish n chip lunch and the bottle of bourbon currently staring me down.

For now, it’s probably going to be a cuppa and a read.

Now, where’s my book?


Until next time!

#

Hey, there! If you enjoyed reading any of the above, why not take a look at some of my published work? Below you’ll find links to a number of short stories I’m lucky enough to have included in anthologies. I’d love to know what you think.



New Tales Of Old



Death Ship



Pestilence: Drabbles 1



Reaperman: Drabbles 3



The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu



Eldritch Investigations