like penguins?

I have become more of a self-assured, extroverted, confident personality, since my accident! This is because I do not hide. I have no choice, but to be recognised. As soon as anyone views a wheelchair user, they fear the worst. I have become used to the fact that only I know me. Only I know what I can or cannot do. Only I have fair expectations. Even people close to me, knew how disabled I was, initially post-coma. Most people (whoever) don't know, so fear the worst. No-one, not even medical-staff or rehab-staff, truly knows my level of brain-rehabilitation. I am still human, I am still unique! 

Monday morning, I washed my hair. Shut my eyes...

Whilst soaking my hair, eyes shut, I breathed deeply and thought to myself about how happy and proud I was. I had awoken early, as ever on Mondays, to buy a coffee, and then take the bus to the Neuro-Gym. Entirely independent. I had done this many, many times before, but for some reason I was thinking very introspectively this week.  I remember how reliant on others, I had been. I had always been confident of progressing. Thank dog, I have done, partially.

I have been wearing this facial hair for a while now. After switching and forever changing it, i maintain this basic shape. I want to explain why. One line attempts to hide any thought of a double chin. The vertical/spot balances the horizontal.  People will look at me, and see a wheelchair. I want to divert attention slightly, maybe!… People may be incorrect and assume that I must need a carer to do such, but i try and show my independent ability. I shave every morning, and try to keep it fairly smart! 

Hehe ‘fairly’!

Mobile communication is wrong. I find it so offensive to watch people attempting to talk to someone but they are actually communicating with another on a phone, simultaneously. Communication should be clear and direct. If you do not supply such, you do not deserve a response at all. Focus on what you are doing, if you want it done correctly! If you consider yourself as 'far too busy', grow up! It's easy to plan! Work out who deserves your attention. Do not attempt both. Put your phone down, and live in the real world of the present!

I only lie when I love you 

Royal Blood 

Daily Mail reader

Don't read the Daily Mail in front of me. I may react badly!!

Socks in sandals, as well!?... 

Hehehe ... FOOL!

When I got angry, complaining that British people are greedy and egocentric,

‘More More More More More’ 

My friend simply said ’what like penguins?’… Followed by a Pingu impersonation,

Obviously, she meant it as a joke, but further investigation proves this to be a very interesting concept

British people are penguins 🐧 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJlWLVgozVs

'Pingu and the Seal', 'Britain and the EU'?…

hmmm…

Ok, it is not just British people. Human nature

'More, more, more...'

Humans must realise that if one takes something, then one loses something. The more that we demand from the world, the weaker the world becomes. I want to live in a strong world.

'ARE YOU OK?'

I am at a bus stop, as a man approaches me, visibly timidly, with caution.

He then slowly, loudly and extra-clearly asks me this three-word statement.

I don't know how to react. I feel deeply offended, he is treating me like an idiot, but I know that he is just offering assistance for something. I laugh his comment off. 

All wheelchair users are grouped together, by too many people. They do not think users have any ability at all.

It hurts me to recognise this again. 

I must just ignore, and forget this incident.

Queens Of The Stone Age

Villains

Greatest ever album introduction?

‘Feet don’t fail me’

The new album, 'Villains', is released today. I have yet to listen to it, fully, but the opening tune begins with such an immense power, it bodes well for the rest of the album!...

Embrace the future

Smile. I am always smiling on the outside because I have to focus on positives, inside. These exist, always battling to counterbalance the negatives. There are obviously huge 'negatives', but one can ensure that they are easily, simply twisted into 'alternatives' . I live an alternative life to EVERYBODY. Everyone does. No person is identical to another. People may be similar, but everyone is unique. There are always positives and negatives. I have no control over this fact, but I have to keep my mind from slipping.

Friedrich Nietzsche

'He who strays from tradition becomes a sacrifice to the extraordinary; he who remain in tradition is its slave. Destruction follows in any case.' - No. 70 - 'Man Alone With Himself'

Evolution is real, we have to move forwards in the correct direction. I will not halt and remain tradition's slave. 

I get surprised by this country's democratic, political choices. Then I experience British people. Our seriousness, our greed, our 'proper, almost-regal personas', show me why this country's broken. British people can live so uptight. Too uptight for our own good?

Avoid tradition. We must avoid being trapped by traditions. We must embrace the future. There is no escape. Embrace it.

I learnt from the radio, this morning, that the Norwegian Military has introduced little barcodes on the front of their battleships. By copying the Swedish military, tabs and numbers can be kept accurate because

... when they return to port, all of the residents, Scandinavian.

...

...

... ;) sorry 

GIuliano's 

http://independentcoffeeshops.blogspot.co.uk/p/g.html

I supply a weblink to my review of my favourite coffee shop in central-Kingston. My photos below, begin to show how the shop's interior has improved recently. Not only a new colour scheme has been embraced, but positioning of the payment counter, and much of GIuliano's food preparation space has shifted. There is space now for customers to sit inside, at the front, and key for myself is the new flooring which removes the large step at the front of the shop. Fully accessible. This shop needs as much publicity as possible.

It has been there for a long time, food and coffee is always supreme, yet it is struggling as an independent at the centre of an ever-evolving town centre. Close, direct competition exists with large multi-nationals. Kingstonians are all so lucky to have this cafe in their town-centre, it MUST BE PROTECTED!

www.facebook.com/GiulianoDelicafeRestaurant

F.F.F.

Julie Byrne performs "Natural Blue" for The Line of Best Fit

I write this week's post, early. It is Tuesday, possibly published on Wednesday, as I am going on a short/family/holiday/break/long weekend. Friday is also the 11th August, which is a special date for me. I become one third of a centurion (almost, I think December 11th 2017 will be more accurate)!

I have opened this post with a recording of a beautiful, live performance, from one of my current favourites, Julie Byrne.

The photos below include those of the 'Canbury Secret' cafe, sat in the middle of Canbury Gardens, itself (near band-stand).

It is a delightful little coffee shop, that I cannot recommend highly enough! They serve 'Moretto Coffee', as was served in 'Amici' and closely linked to their staff! I remember vividly how I struggled to learn to cycle along this very path.

I learnt late (I think I was 8)! I remember how Britain enjoyed Chris Boardman's success in the Barcelona olympics of 1992, but I STILL couldn't do this sport. I remember throwing my Raleigh bike to the path's side, in a strop. I desperately wanted to, but I couldn't ride my bike. Laterly, in following years, I rapidly made up for my late start! Up, down, up, down, up, down. Stop!

Sometimes when things go wrong, just accept it, and remain content, comfortably maintain the correct belief that things will go right. They will do, in alternate ways.

If you can recognise this fact, life is so much more beneficial. Allow yourself to view alternate ways. Find the positives. Feel the positives. Feed the positives forward to others.

Why am I still here?

... because I am a fighter. My life now seems to be a battle. Against no-one. I will never win, and, like cycling up mountains, a relative struggle. I always find a reason to smile, and continue. Enforced masochism...

Absurdity

Alone

Will anyone ever choose to join me on this road to nowhere?...

As you probably know, I have been reading a lot of Albert Camus recently. In his book ’The Myth of Sisyphus’ (1942), he gives a deep explanation of the ‘Absurd’.

‘The example par excellence of this option of spiritual courage and metaphysical revolt is the mythical Sisyphus of Camus’s philosophical essay. Doomed to eternal labour at his rock, fully conscious of the essential hopelessness of his plight, Sisyphus nevertheless pushes on. In doing so he becomes for Camus a superb icon of the spirit of revolt and of the human condition. To rise each day to fight a battle you know you cannot win, and to do this with wit, grace, compassion for others, and even a sense of mission, is to face the Absurd in a spirit of true heroism.’

http://www.iep.utm.edu/camus/#SSH5ci

I prefer to attack the climb

Heheheh. The above note, provides the figurative language which helps me achieve my targets on my Motomed/Gym-bike. You are probably bored rigid when reading this stuff, sorry. Anyway, I altered my pattern. I now do a five-minute ‘attack’ (high gear/resistance, power training). I consider these five minutes to be an all out attack on a ‘climb’. I then do a five-minute sprint (low gear, high speed, aerobic sprint). The higher speed revolutions are considered by myself as a ‘final sprint’. I can alternate between these, depending on intensity. My own version of ‘interval training’. I haven’t been training for a particular goal, but I will still work to peak my fitness for early October. I attack the climb, then relax (warm down) for the sprint! ;) I guess that i was always like this!!

This time

Last Sunday, my brother successfully completed the RideLondon100. I talk about it here because I am so pleased for him. Sponsorship reached over £1400.00, in aid of the 'Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability'. I was a patient here in 2007, following my accident, aiding my initial rehabilitation. Also a keen cyclist, my injury understandably hit my brother hard, psychologically. But he dealt with University and key ages whilst I spent much time in hospitals and rehabilitation. One hundred miles is a proper ride! I only rode such a distance two weeks pre-accident, in Paris.

Well Done Dom!

Left to Right, break-away race leaders of the Professional race, hit Norbiton.

Matteo Trentin, Daryl Impey, and Jasper Stuyven.

Then, Monday's gym session let me test MY legs.

I am surprised, as I had not trained, to reach this goal so early (i was planning, for Autumn). My goals basically call for me to ride a similar distance, but at stronger resistances.

Goal achieved early, but riding will continue!

30kph in higher gear (g15)

Unexpected 

:s !!

Let fate dictate you and your actions. If you fight against fate, you will lose. Such a battle will result in your energy being turned from 'positivity' (that you had wished for), into 'negativity' (no-one wants). It can be nice to dream but the fall to reality can outweigh this, and hurt more! Dream, but always keep in contact with the real world! Real happiness is so much more valuable.

Wheelchair charge

A complex issue for me, because I have an ethical conscience, but I MUST have enough life in my 'wheelchair battery'. I also know that it is stupid, dangerous, bad , and wrong to overcharge batteries...

You probably do not realise how rubbish it is to be so dependable on something so vital.

I have had to live like this for the past decade, yet I am still troubled!

True Love Waits - A Moon Shaped Pool version

https://vimeo.com/208052186

Tuesday

Listening, to 6music, I find out that we are now closer to the ‘autumn midpoint’ (middle between summer equinox and winter equinox), than mid-summer! Thank you Lauren Laverne!

:(

This time

https://vimeo.com/69410777

20years ago!

Looking back on my life, ...

I listen to the song, and it stops me. It makes me review my existence of the last decade. I am incredibly proud! I know that I deserve perfection. I will not settle for anything less. I realise why I am still waiting. I know how that I can wait forever. I must not have a problem with this.

I am reading a lot of Albert Camus at the moment. Many of his stories/theories involve  his concept of 'the absurd'. My very brief description is that Camus' absurd explains that ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Not everything can be clearly explained through the standard cause/effect process.

"Philosophically, Camus is known for his conception of the absurd. Perhaps we should clarify from the very beginning what the absurd is not. The absurd is not nihilism. For Camus the acceptance of the absurd does not lead to nihilism (according to Nietzsche nihilism denotes the state in which the highest values devalue themselves) or to inertia, but rather to their opposite: to action and participation. The notion of the absurd signifies the space which opens up between, on the one hand, man’s need for intelligibility and, on the other hand, 'the unreasonable silence of the world' as he beautifully puts it." 

http://www.iep.utm.edu/existent/