- Getting a birthday presentation from the mayor, Russell James, a friend of long standing.
- Meeting Chloe Smith (in person: we had previously only exchanged emails!).
- Winning a Raffle prize of some tasty shortbread biscuits (although their consumption was restricted by my diabetes!). My wife had been lucky enough to win Jenny Fuller’s embroidered painting, a fine piece of work that has been much admired.
I was particularly pleased to see people I do not meet (and seldom hear from) during the year; a most sincere “thank you” to those who did come over to have a word.
On a recent 10-day stay in hospital I was impressed by the high standards of the food and explained to several of the nurses that I enjoyed their treatment of me and my eager desire to be discharged and return home had nothing to do with them or their colleagues! In fact, this visit was notable in that fewer members of staff invoked my anger by ignoring my over 48 years’ home experience of actually living with diabetes 24/7 . I deliberately refrain from mentioning the exceptions here for fear of wriing something I may regret; details are best confined to a letter to the Chief Executive. Those who accepted knowledge so learned soon earned my respect. .Among my other illnesses is the relatively rare ataxia (causing balance problems). Because this condition is seldom come across in everyday medicine, many inexperienced doctors, understandably, often ask me to perform standard diagnostic motions and this repetition annoys me. I mentioned thiis to a senior doctor (who later discharged me!) and he promised not to ask for this - he didn’t, although another doctor did that very afternoon!
May I wish you ALL a Very Happy Christmas.
Mike Ireland
"By appreciation, we make excellence in others our own property." - Voltaire
"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something
we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." . - Frederick Keonig
"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child,
and the smiling faces." - Cicero
"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for
what he's going to get." - Frank A. Clark
