Let me just to set the scene: it is Thursday 3rd of May, and I have just finished the week in the OCE. Where I had started living there full-time, next I spent only the week times there, with weekends at home, and then for about my last month and a half the centre was home to me for only 4 nights a week, Sunday to Wednesday. This meant that after my Sessions on a Thursday I was a free agent.
Do I hear 4-day weekend over there ?!
So I’ve gone home, as was customary, on Thursday afternoon/evening, but this particular weekend happened to be a particularly hefty fixture in the calendar. The Friday, the 4th May, happens to be my birthday. Yes Star Wars fans, “May the Fourth be with you” is my actual birthday, and yes I do share my birthday with the world-recognised fixture ‘International Star Wars Day’. (It’s a pretty funny birthday to have and come to think of it, I really should be more of a Star Wars fan!)
In keeping with the birthday spirit, that evening the six of us went out for supper and had a lovely dîner at the Bell in Laughton (if you don’t know get to know) The food was, as expected, scrumptious, and I can see why its become relatively famous around us.
Not quite on a par with the supper was the journey home afterwards… What had begun with a pair of cars at our disposal and high spirits all-round as we reminisced about the supper ended up in a complete kerfuffle with a pothole. The result of said kerfuffle was the six of us squeezing into and driving home in one Volkswagen Polo. “There were six in a Polo and the little one said ‘this isn’t really working is it?’ “
I don’t want to name names but mumsy (a.k.a Shushan) might have hit a pothole (I mean, she very much did) and rendered one of the cars out of action. So home it was, home for all six of us in one reasonably priced (and very small) car. Somehow we all made it back in one piece; one fairly squashed piece, and if anything it added a touch of spice to my birthday…
(On the subject of spice, one thing that has definitely changed after my accident is that I now love spice! Ask any of my mates; I was pathetic with spice before the accident. And I mean PATHETIC with spice… I used to shy away from (and very much start sweating from) eating a pack of chilli heatwave Doritos. But now – and I’d love to know the science behind it – I absolutely love spice! Is that not quite spooky?
It’s spooky but it’s working for me guys haha!
Anyway moving on from the ‘Spice Files’; the weekend definitely carried on in a momentous vein. It was momentous because that Sunday about thirty (it may have been more) of mine and my brother’s best mates took on the Tough Mudder challenge.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Tough Mudder, it is basically a long, adventurous, arduous assault course near Henley-on-Thames. There are a few around the country but the one that my mates did was in Henley, and the point about this particular assault course is that it’s set up to be as unpleasant as possible. We’re talking ice baths – the aptly-named the ‘Artic Enema’ – we’re talking pits of liquid mud, were talking electric shocks – you can wee why it’s gone down such a storm in America can’t you?
But somehow, other than a couple of bumps and a couple of bruises for a couple of unlucky soldiers, they all made it through unscathed. As I’m sure you can imagine, it was a pretty phenomenal day for me personally. I hope they – everyone who did it – all know how much I appreciate the love and support, and I look forward to taking on the Tough Mudder myself at some point (that’s if anyone can be bothered to come and do it again with me!)
That was the Sunday, and we had a bank holiday the next day, so I came back in on Tuesday. I came back in slightly mentally through and done with the phase of the rehab centre, only to be ushered into a room, under the guise of God knows what. All I heard was “mr Biggart can we have a word with you please” at which point myself and my mum who I was with, were wondering “oh God whats he done now? What can this possibly be about?”
We got to my room to be pleasantly surprised when the head consultant said “uh we’ve had a chat, and we think you can leave…From today…!”
Cue jubilation, celebration and much rejoicing of rejoicing from me! A month early ! And boy did it feel good. That was at about 11.30, and although I could
have walked out there and then I did have one piece of unfinished business still left to attend to at the OCE…
My chess board, which I had almost finished making other than the finishing touches. Obviously that had to be addressed, and I finished it off and I now have a chess board at home, adorning the sitting room, and acting as a nice souvenir of my time in the OCE….
I just want to close on this note, and I will try my hardest that the amazing people at the OCE get to read this. I just want to say how much I appreciate everything that they did for me and my family during my time there. They are without a doubt some of the most special people that one would ever have the honour of meeting. Their unwavering dedication, even in the most testing of scenarios, is something that one cannot praise highly enough. God knows where I would be without their expertise and support.
LONG LIVE THE OCE!
Ciao ciao xx
LUCKIEST MAN ALIVE 