Today, not only do I start the next stage of a rather long journey but I also start it in a somewhat different frame of mind to that which is usual for me. One determinedly optimistic person who always prepares for the worst is now starting to believe that he can do for himself what he has long done for others. In this I am, at last, taking my son’s advice!
It’s a strange feeling which manifests itself with a degree of certainty, based on my track record, but with another feeling which I can only describe as making sure that nothing untoward is appearing in the rear view mirror. The difference is that that certainty is starting to take root and I can’t tell you how good that feels. I will, however, feel happier when the roots are more firmly anchored.
How will I know this? Well, I think, because, to paraphrase Robbie Burns, I will see myself more as I know that others see me. In my present guise, as with many people, I still feel, as Billy Connolly once described it, that one day someone would knock on his door and say, “Sorry, Billy, there’s been a mistake and you need to get back to the welder’s bench”.
So, let’s just see how this pans out as I push forward into a new future; one that involves some planning for, more than, the immediate future. Now there’s a first for you.
PS, Many thanks to all those who’ve helped along the way. You know who you are!