Again renewed by the vessels of Isis you're ready to fly (Steve Hackett)

Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash

Wie geht's?

Today was a right-off thanks to a migraine. I would have much preferred to be at school.

Thankfully, I don't get them as frequently as Jacky does - this is my second for the year, which is about right.

When I was younger, I got them a lot, starting when I was about 15. I remember the first one pretty distinctly still. I was playing football, and I suddenly couldn't see the ball or the players clearly, thanks to jagged lines in my right eye (it's always my right eye).

An eye test showed I needed glasses (I had to keep playing without glasses until I got contact lenses in my early twenties), and the migraines would be severe and much more frequent than these days. Always started with tingly fingers, then the jagged lines, then the massive headache. A dark room and time were required. Usually, two days later I'd be able to function again.

The trick was always to take some meds as soon as possible and it would help a bit.

These days they are far less scary things. I no longer get the tingling warning, just the half vision. Jacky's migraine meds work quickly but leave me feeling sleepy and foggy for the day (I've now had a sleep, hence being able to write this).

Back into it tomorrow.

Love and peace - Wozza

P.S. there are many other migraine sufferers out there - take solace from what my dad, bless him, told me when I was a teenager -intelligent people are more likely to suffer from them. There's no evidence for that, according to Google, but it made me feel better, so I'm sticking with it.

Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes (Cream)

Wie geht's?

I'm in awe at the pursuit of perfection that is Olympic competition. Sport is high drama. Many are called by few are chosen.

The stories of glory and seeming defeat come thick and fast over the Olympic Games weeks - dropped batons/balls/hoops, missed jumps, off timing, human error and so on.

Of course, a lot of focus is on those who have a podium finish - the ultimate symbol of success, and Olympic or even World Records, but I prefer to celebrate any Personal Best (PB).

As the stoics know, in the end, the victory over one's self, the triumph of one's principles is what counts. The satisfaction of not only giving your best but being your best.

As Dame Lisa Carrington says, it's all about a constant pursuit of growth and learning.

So, here's to all of the participants who learnt something about themselves and their skills, who made an incremental forward movement, who bettered their previous best effort. Hurrah!!

My hat goes off to you!

Love and peace - Wozza

Reach out, just look over your shoulder, I'll be there to give you all the love you need (Four Tops)

 

Wie geht's?

Can't beat those Air B'n'B family get togethers!

We've had three so far. First was in Noosa for Jacky's 60th, second was in New Plymouth for Kerry's wedding, and the latest was in Taupo for Keegan and Jennifer's visit.

The photo shows most of the weekend's participants, Chris had to return early for work on Monday.

The chance to relax in each other's company in a house, sharing meals and playing games is a rare one, so all the sweeter.

I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Love and peace - Woz

Come on, people, now it's time to go, go to where a man can dwell (Arlo Guthrie)

Wie geht's?

I'm dipping into Maktub again for this one...

In the Bible...it's God who commands Moses: "Tell the children of Israel to go forward." And only once they have started moving does Moses raise his staff and divide the Red Sea, because only by having the courage to follow a path will the path reveal itself.

This is also the message delivered by Natalie in an episode of Monk, when she says, "Jump and the net will appear". And it's an indirect link to Joseph Campbells' 'Follow Your Bliss' aphorism.

I love this idea, and I've loved the last two weeks of going back to teaching English. One week at Woodford House, and this week at Hastings Boys' High School, where I'll be for the rest of the year. 

Being part of an English department again has proven to me anew what a wonderful bunch of people English teachers are. So helpful, so warm, and so much fun.

This is the current path, and it also explains why we keep failing to win Lotto.

Love and peace - Sir

I know I'll never forget that horrible sight, I guess I found out for myself that everyone was right (Jan and Dean)

Wie geht's?

I've been meaning to write about this for a while. A passage from Maktub made me think back to the night that photo was taken.

There are certain things that are written in our fate, but God somehow manages to get us through them safely. A car accident at this point in your life was clearly there in your destiny, but as you see, everything happened and nothing happened.

Love and peace - Wozza

Well the names have all changed since you hung around, but those dreams have remained and they've turned around (John Sebastian)

Wie geht's?

This week has been about being back in the busy world of schools. There's something very comforting about being back in a classroom, and especially about being around former colleagues again. There were many welcome back messages and one 'welcome home'.

The classroom (especially at Woodford House) does feel very much like home, which is obvious and surprising. I've been a teacher for many years and getting that buzz of teaching and being around warm and receptive students again has been very refreshing. The surprise element comes from being immediately accepted by the students - no guarded conversations - either in the staff room or the classroom.

It's my natural element in many ways. I'm sure there will be down days when the bear eats me but for this week, I'll take the wins.

Love and peace - Mr P

The sound of the city, baby, seems to disappear, oh when I can hear music, sweet, sweet music (The Beach Boys)

Wie geht's?

I've enjoyed reading Jenny Boyd's interviews with musicians discussing their creativity.

One of her questions was about how they feel in a peak moment. So many of the musicians say that it is like an out of body experience, that they are not consciously thinking - it's all instinctive and it's as if it's another person playing their instrument.

Jazz musician Paul Horn: In playing, what I have transcended is my self-consciousness, my mind drifting on to other things. I'm unaware of myself, I'm totally absorbed in the music, and as I get more absorbed in the music, then more can happen. 

This reminded me of when I've played sport. My focus becomes such that I didn't hear anything because my tackles or passes while playing football or shots (tennis/ squash/ badminton) are instinctive. I didn't think about it, let alone overthink it. If I do that, become self-conscious, the moment will pass and I will fail.

I can well remember playing certain games - making a slide tackle or whatever and then sort of snapping back to consciousness and it's that point I could hear the crowd. That happened once in a game long long ago and I had a kind of epiphany about awareness/ unawareness of self.

One of my favourite pictures is that double exposure of myself wearing my University of Auckland sweatshirt in the late seventies. It's the one I have chosen for my blog's profile picture - me looking at me self-consciously reading a book by Henry Miller, self-consciously wearing that sweatshirt. That was exactly my idea at the time.

Love and peace - Wozza