A Death,an Interview and a Move

The 16th of October was one of those days...

Texting on MSN with a friend at 1am about her Father having a seizure and waiting for news while finishing homework due in 8hours - a rewrite of a review on Artspaces (a space for Artists in the city). I finished the rewrite, put my son's uniform in the tumble-dryer and went to bed unaware of how the day would unfold.

The usual desperate rush to get pack lunches ready, dress and get Cai to the childminder ensued and I drove into town. At 8:30am my Father rang to say my friends Father had died in the night (they worked together). I heard the hitch in his voice and my heart sank. I could feel the emotion of his workplace bleeding down the phone and we cut the call short so I could ring my friend. I'm supposed to be a journalist and yet I couldn't find words appropriate. Actions speak louder than words because actions convey true emotion when words seem to float in an empty space of insincerity. Useless was how I felt, useless to help a friend. So I rang. Bumbled my way through, offering the usual words bereft of hope and promises of help. My friend was strong in a way I'll never be able to be when the same day comes to me.

With wet eyes I got to class and Russ, our Tutor was waiting with a mission. "In twenty-five minutes you'll all (six of us) be interviewing Rapheal Ravenscroft, go and get equipment and information to support you through this press conference".

For those of you who can't place the name-the undeniably fantastic saxophone piece in Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' is one of this man's creations. Part of Pink Floyd, played with Marvin Gaye, John Lennon, ABBA, Ray Charles - his My Space 'friends' reads like a who's who of musicians. So, although I'm somewhere on the second cousin's' guest list for Cliff Richard it's safe to say Rapheal has to be the biggest name I've met so far.

They all say 'he was really down to earth', but I've got to repeat it - he's really down to earth and it was great to briefly get to know the man behind the sax. (Full article and photo's to be posted at a later date).

We all went to the Angel pub and toasted our good fortune to meet such a lovely guy and then came a text. 'Hi it's Wayne, the house has gone through - you're moving!'. Yes! To a three bed house in a village near Exeter, next to water with a massive garden. The day was complete. A full gambit of emotions from helplessness, to awe, to joy and an amount of guilt that it all should happen on the same day as my friend's Father's death.

So I collected my son from the childminder, gave him the biggest hug, went home, left the TV off and sat to read with him.

It's strange how life works with its constant reminders of priorities, should we chose to listen.

Last thought:

A good medium will tell you:

- acknowledge and appreciate the important

and non-important people in your life everyday,

THEN, you will never have the need to see someone like me -

Love and laughter to you all. x

The first step....

One day you wake up and everything's the same except you. You still love the same people, you still have the same things except you've woken up. Finally, you've put the star shaped peg in a star shaped hole and you realise if YOU don't do something you'll just burst.

This happened to me....

I've always imagined spiritual awakenings to come on a golden chariot led by a herd of white horses after standing on one leg and fasting for forty days, but not mine. I was parping around, picking things off the floor, thinking about the usual trash that scoots round our brains: food shopping; my social diary and how did that black mark get on the carpet, when a voice came from nowhere. A deep voice said, "The tribes must regroup".

As if I'd been hit in the chest with a concrete block I stood stunned. Wondering what it was and what it meant I couldn't move for the chills still spilling up and down my spine. The voice was so loud, so undisputable that it woke me out of a 36 year sleep. I couldn't work out what the message meant, just that I needed to go/do and find out what I've been missing..

Back then I was living with my young son as a single parent, a small number of key events have led me onto training for my life long ambition as a Journalist -Kate Adie will need an apprentice one day. A love for nature, the planet and mankind has led me onto becoming .... well wait and see, the story's still unfolding.