| I was involved in something at the weekend that | | | | 'splodges', and even the odd 'kerblam' as I |
| left me feeling guilty. Was I actually guilty though, | | | | eventually made it home. |
| and how can this lesson affect us all? | | | | I could do nothing over the weekend except let |
| I was playing in my first curling tournament. It's a | | | | the illness take its' course, feeling ever more guilty |
| micro niche sport in this country, in fact there are | | | | about wrecking the tournament for my team |
| only 3 purpose built sheets in the whole of | | | | mates. There was an entry fee to play so I felt |
| England, and I was delighted last year to find that | | | | quite bad. |
| they are only a 40 minute drive from me. | | | | Here's the point of this article though - was I right |
| I knew I was playing against better players than | | | | to feel guilty? Was it really my fault? |
| me, with years of experience, but I was looking | | | | Yes, the team's weekend had been mucked up |
| forward to learning from the experience and | | | | because of me, but was it a situation I could |
| having fun. I did have fun too, for the first 90 | | | | control? |
| minutes. Then, completely from nowhere I felt | | | | Most migraine sufferers have triggers, and mine |
| the first symptoms of a migraine, as my eyes | | | | include sharp lights and too much cheese. If I had |
| were unable to focus, and there were large areas | | | | sat staring at the sun while munching on half a |
| of my vision which were 'missing.' | | | | pound of cheese and then got a migraine, it could |
| For anyone that doesn't suffer migraines, think | | | | be argued that it was my fault, but since I hadn't |
| yourself lucky, because you wouldn't wish it on | | | | done anything of the sort, I was wrong to feel |
| your worst enemy, it really is most unpleasant. I | | | | guilty. |
| always have my pills with me, but the delay | | | | To be honest I just don't like letting people down, |
| between the first symptom and taking the pills | | | | but whereas I *felt* guilty, the *facts* really |
| was too long, and I knew that the full symptoms | | | | didn't back that up. |
| were coming my way, with a 3 day stretch until | | | | It's exactly this kind of taking a feeling as fact |
| recovery. | | | | which stops us achieving many things in life. We |
| This was on Friday night, with the curling | | | | feel that we can't do something, and turn this |
| tournament scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. I | | | | feeling into a fact. |
| had no option but to explain to my team mates | | | | Once we recognise that we do this, we can step |
| that I wouldn't be playing, and to set off home. | | | | back and separate what we have as a feeling |
| I had hoped to get home before the vomiting | | | | from the cold hard facts. It is amazing how much |
| started, but only got half way, having to drive the | | | | clearer everything seems, how much more is |
| remaining 15 miles stopping every mile to paint | | | | possible when you do this, so make sure that |
| the pavement. My artistic approach could be | | | | when you next declare a fact about yourself, be |
| described as 'scattergun', if you get my drift. | | | | certain that it *is* a fact, and not just a feeling. |
| There were plenty of 'splats', a couple of | | | | |