The week at home has been a lot quieter
than normal now the kids have gone to Uni.
Well I guess this is the new normal.
Georgina and Joe have both settled in very well in their first week of Uni
life. I have to admit I have been
worried about them until I seen their photos on Facebook. Worry over. Of course these are very early
days and I won’t be complacent about them.
However, it looks to me that they have grown up and will enjoy their new
lives
My focus now turns towards me and what I
do. As I have said on many occasions I
need to take my circumstances into my own hands. The only person who is going to sort ‘me’ out
is ‘me’. I do have a habit of jumping
into everything that is going so I need to be careful that I don’t try to boil
the ocean. On the other hand I want to get on with the rest of my life.
My first major project is moving to a
new home. The move will signify a new
start for me and it will be something for ‘me’.
I will ask for a valuation of my current house in the next couple of
weeks from a local estate agent. In the
meantime I will continue to downsize the amount of stuff in the house which is
a considerable task in itself. It blows
my mind when I look at the amount of stuff us as a family have accumulated over
the years. We have kept so much just in
case we might need it. Over the coming
weeks I will have to face facts, look in the mirror and tell myself ‘you’re
never going to play cricket again’ and then dispose of my cricket kit. My cricket mates will tell you that my bat is
as good as new as I never ever managed to hit a ball! I can foresee several of these ‘face up to
reality’ chats with myself: ‘Paul you won’t get in those trousers again’; Paul
you didn’t look good in that hat when you bought it and now you look even worse
in it’ and so on and so on.
With the kids no longer living full time
in the house life has suddenly become a bit lonelier. Not that the kids were ever much company. Joe
was always upstairs in his room on his Mac talking to his mates. Every now and then he would pop down to see
what was on TV and have a little chat.
Georgina was always on the go and I would see her mainly at meal times
and only then if I was cooking something better than her boyfriend’s mother. I guess with both of them gone it just
confirms reality that I need to find something new.
I have had so many people provide me
with such a wide range of suggestions. I even had someone from ‘back in the day’
(when I had good looks and brown hair) send me a Facebook message suggesting I
take up the guitar. Other suggestions
friends have made are: learn a language, sailing, night classes, dancing, etc
etc. When you put your mind to it there is
so much choice out there.
My current state of mind tells me that I
have an unintended opportunity (I hate using ‘opportunity’ given on how I
arrived at my circumstances but can’t think of another word) to do something
completely new and meet new people – even if they are not my ‘type’. Two social groups have been recommended to
me. One is the Bristol Social Group www.thesocialgroup.uk.com
and Spice www.spiceuk.comm. Both are social clubs which organise social
and activity events. Additionally they
also organise holidays for its members.
What appeals to me is that they both attract people from all walks of
life, from all age ranges and are not just aimed at single people. I will be attending the Spice introduction
evening on 14th October to see what it’s all about.
I am also looking to improve my culinary
skills. Although my cooking ability has
developed out of nowhere over the past 18 months if I’m honest I basically read
the instructions and then follow the instructions. On the whole 95% of what I have cooked has
come out alright but I would like to take my skills to the next level. This I can assure anyone who doesn’t know
will be a challenge.
Anyway I have started the ball rolling
and with a fair wind should start to re-build my new life. This gun’s for hire.
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