So the previously-mentioned next batch of fencing didn't really materialise for me. About 5am on the morning of the second day, a querelous stomach gave way to a set of ab-crunches that weren't particularly welcome. Nene Disease had struck...
To be fair, I'd had a pretty good run up until then, infirmity-wise. Most other people have come down with an illness or injury of some sort during the first couple of months here, so it wasn't entirely unexpected, not least after Canoe and Kayak Rescues involving deliberate capsizes and the like two days previously. It was the Wednesday in between that was the curveball; why did nothing 'appear' (literally) for a whole 24 hours after the dunking in (and swallowing of) the Nene?
Maybe those bacteria just needed that nice incubation period. Suffice to say, I managed to stagger up to the sports hall for my fencing assessment and then stagger equally inelegantly back to bed, where I stayed for much of the next day and a half, dieting hard.
Thankfully, the rest was genuinely recuperative, and I've been up and about now for a few days, back to fairly near full-strength. I was even able to do my driving lesson on Saturday, although BSM have changed the car for me back again, so revert to Vauxall mode. I was a bit rusty! Test 11th January. Don't panic!
Living in community has proved to be tough - tougher than I thought - during this time. When I was at my interview back in June, I was asked how I thought I would take to living with a whole bunch of other people, and I answered that I thought it would be ok, as I done it before at university.
It was the reply I thought they wanted / needed to hear, and I've found in these eight weeks or so that a life more independent of other people was something I'd got used to (and nicely comfortable with) when in London. It's hard to go back!
I suppose that's been as big a challenge as learning how to set up a climbing rig or rescue a spinal casualty in a pool, if not bigger. Skills can be learned, repeated, tried and tried and tried until they're locked down. People don't work in the same way. They push back, respond awkwardly and have memory, all of which interacts with you in a dynamic and not always smooth manner.
So whether it's washing-up, conversational manners, learning styles or that je ne sais qua that makes it easier to be with some people rather than others, trying to look at the situation here reflectively and constructively, it may be that this is the larger life lesson that God has for me.
I fear that, at the moment, it's more exposing tendencies of impatience or isolationism in me rather than leading me to greater maturity, but, like with skill sets, it will need time to process through my head, organise in my life and become established in my heart. Not a job for me alone, then; but 'with God, all things are possible.' (Matthew 19:26)
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Matters of Life and Death
If any of you ever fancy getting a spinal injury whilst in a swimming pool, I can now help you out. But only if I'm on lifeguard duty...
Last Friday, I passed the National Rescue Standard Pool Lifeguard qualification, after a week down in Kent. The centre at Carroty Wood has a pool, and we were in it every day, along with a lot of classroom time rehearsing, CPR, vomiting casualties and other various nightmare scenarios. It was a bit scary! But preparing for the worst is always the most necessary strategy.
Prior to the lifeguarding week, we had four days of Archery Leader training, so if I was feeling malicious, I could first inflict the injury before attempting to save the casualty, although I think that would be pretty poor form. Archery is one of those sports that has a whole system of etiquette wrapped up in its history and continued practice, so aiming for anything but the target would be seriously infra dig, not to mention a sackable offence!
To continue the theme of potentially violent activities carried out within a gentlemanly environment, we began fencing today - another one with a rich history and carried out as an art form almost as much as a sport. There's something invigorating and brilliant about doing dangerous things in safe conditions, which you'll all be glad to know are always adhered to here at Rock UK.
Some of you will know that as a teenager, I played a lot of table tennis, and it turns out that fencing has a lot of similarity in terms of foot movements. It's really intense, too - if archery requires you to get into a completely focused 'bubble' of concentration, with fencing, you have to do the same, only you have to get a sweat on at the same time, as there's someone coming at you with a foil.
More fencing tomorrow. In the meantime, church at Grace in Kempston continues to be excellent, a forum for growing as a Christian and making a lot of friends in the process. There's also the possibility of getting involved with the music groups that play for services there, and I'll be taking my guitar along this Sunday to practise with the others.
Keep safe, everyone, in body and soul - the latter's health is truly a matter of life and death.
Last Friday, I passed the National Rescue Standard Pool Lifeguard qualification, after a week down in Kent. The centre at Carroty Wood has a pool, and we were in it every day, along with a lot of classroom time rehearsing, CPR, vomiting casualties and other various nightmare scenarios. It was a bit scary! But preparing for the worst is always the most necessary strategy.
Prior to the lifeguarding week, we had four days of Archery Leader training, so if I was feeling malicious, I could first inflict the injury before attempting to save the casualty, although I think that would be pretty poor form. Archery is one of those sports that has a whole system of etiquette wrapped up in its history and continued practice, so aiming for anything but the target would be seriously infra dig, not to mention a sackable offence!
To continue the theme of potentially violent activities carried out within a gentlemanly environment, we began fencing today - another one with a rich history and carried out as an art form almost as much as a sport. There's something invigorating and brilliant about doing dangerous things in safe conditions, which you'll all be glad to know are always adhered to here at Rock UK.
Some of you will know that as a teenager, I played a lot of table tennis, and it turns out that fencing has a lot of similarity in terms of foot movements. It's really intense, too - if archery requires you to get into a completely focused 'bubble' of concentration, with fencing, you have to do the same, only you have to get a sweat on at the same time, as there's someone coming at you with a foil.
More fencing tomorrow. In the meantime, church at Grace in Kempston continues to be excellent, a forum for growing as a Christian and making a lot of friends in the process. There's also the possibility of getting involved with the music groups that play for services there, and I'll be taking my guitar along this Sunday to practise with the others.
Keep safe, everyone, in body and soul - the latter's health is truly a matter of life and death.
Thursday 10 November 2011
How did you find Grace?
That's a bit of a question, isn't it? My friend Carl from church asked it when he was giving me a lift home last Sunday. I hope everyone reading this has their own story as to how they've experienced the love of God in their lives. If not, the great news is that you can find it today - free! "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55v1).
In actual fact, Carl was referring to the local church in Kempston, Grace Community Church! But it was a question that - even though I misinterpreted it at first - was a shot of spiritual adrenalin to me, and reminded me of the grace of God that is to be found in Christ Jesus alone. On Sunday eleven people were baptised at an afternoon service the church held in order to show that they too have experienced this wonderful mercy of God.
Finding a spiritual family at Grace has been one of the best parts of moving to my new life here. The training is progressing smoothly enough - with some 'natural hiccups' here and there! - but I'm realising that God is more concerned about the person I am becoming rather than the qualifications I am or could be achieving.
What kind of person are you becoming?
In actual fact, Carl was referring to the local church in Kempston, Grace Community Church! But it was a question that - even though I misinterpreted it at first - was a shot of spiritual adrenalin to me, and reminded me of the grace of God that is to be found in Christ Jesus alone. On Sunday eleven people were baptised at an afternoon service the church held in order to show that they too have experienced this wonderful mercy of God.
Finding a spiritual family at Grace has been one of the best parts of moving to my new life here. The training is progressing smoothly enough - with some 'natural hiccups' here and there! - but I'm realising that God is more concerned about the person I am becoming rather than the qualifications I am or could be achieving.
What kind of person are you becoming?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)