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