ROUNDERS FOR RWANDA

Yesterday found me out in the sun, doing something I haven't done for the best part of 30 years....... playing rounders.
Actually, we did play once with the practice 10+ years ago, but otherwise I haven't done it since I was at school.
So, what was the occasion? My sons' school were holding a fundraising sports afternoon to raise money fro the mission they support in Rwanda. A fantastic cause and more than 60 of the parents thought it was well worth donning shorts and trainers to show their support.

What a great day we had - really good fun. Everyone mucked in, gave it a really good go....... and was a whole lot more competitive that they admitted! It was excellent fun and I can't pretend that we didn't absolutely love it when we scored rounders. it was a really good laugh and hopefully a whole lot of money was raised for the cause.

It was surprising energetic too. Since I stopped playing football, I can't say I do much sprinting. Yes I'm in the gym a lot and yes I run, but it's more of an endurance type workout that I do........ so my thighs felt a bit stiff this morning. Still, I treated myself to some new running shoes today and, after coaching a client, I tested them out on the treadmill. Fantastic!

I drove back home in the beautiful sunshine to watch Roger Federer finish off Robin Soderling in straight sets - excellent. Another great start to another great week - enjoy!

TWO SURPRISES

Swine flu continues to spread in my neck of the woods and has certainly changed the way we have functioned as a practice this week. It lead to an odd experience for me, something you don't see every day as a GP. Being on-call yesterday, one of my jobs was to take swabs from some of the suspected cases. To do this we work in a designated area and have to wear a mask, gloves and apron. The paperwork is a nightmare..... takes much longer than the swabs themselves. No that didn't surprise me..... what did, was opening the door to call the first person in, to be confronted by a sea of faces, all also wearing facemasks. It was quite surreal. Like something out of a bad science fiction movie. Not the stuff of everyday suburban general practice.Still, on a personal note, it's been good for me to be pushed out of my comfort zone and thrown in to dealing with this. It's had a good effect on our team too, it's pulled everyone together in a sort of wartime spirit.

The other shock this week was the death of Michael Jackson. Whatever you thought about him, no-one could deny the guy was a musical legend. In years to come, it'll be one of those, "where were you when you heard the news?" type moments. A bit like when Elvis died, or Princess Diana. I rememember when Elvis died, we were just about to go on holiday. I was about 11 and woke about 4am (we were due to leave very early) to hear my Mum crying and saying "we can't go now!" She was a big Elvis fan and was really upset by the news. Luckily my Dad talked her round and we went away, but the memory has stuck with me.

Funny the things you remember.....
Well have a great weekend - see you next week.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

Well it's been another busy week so far...... and it's only Wednesday.

The week started with a bang when the big secondary school nearest to the surgery was closed down for a week due to confirmed cases of swine flu. This led to us activating our flu plan in the practice.

Now luckily for me, I no longer work there on a Monday - it's one of my coaching days, but I walked in on Tuesday morning to find the signs all in place, directing the flu and non-flu patients to different entrances. Inside things were different too, with the creation of sealed off areas for the examination of those who might be infected. It brought home to me one of the difficulties of working part-time..... sometimes you feel as if you are the last to find out about things.

Don't get me wrong, part-time working, especially mine where I spend the non-practice time doing the coaching that I am so passionate about, has plenty of benefits. Where was I today, when the sun was shining? Lunching at a local golf club, networking with a group of 20 other women - excellent. You meet some great people there, people with real stories to tell. I guess that's one of the things I love most about my two jobs - I get the chance to talk to so many different people and really find out what makes them tick.

A woman at the group was the founder of a charity called The Cookery School for Kids. They have been nominated for a National Lottery Good Causes Award. Their mission is to teach the underprivileged and disadvantaged kids of West London how to cook healthy food. They've done some fantastic work so far. You can read more about them and vote for them in the awards hereIt's completely free, there's no form filling and it takes about five seconds.

As a GP I see so many problems that relate to poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle. As a coach I work with lots of clients who want to kick their bad habits. Anything that can be done to encourage kids to make a better start in life, especially kids like these, many of whom are in care or have special needs, has got to be fantastically worthwhile. Take a few seconds to check this out. You'll be glad you did.

LOOKING PROMISING

Well, the weekend is over and the new week is with us. To my mind it's looking like it's going to be a great one. For lots of reasons.

I'm writing this having just finished a session at the gym in which I ran for the first time in two and a half months. Admittedly not very far.... but boy did it feel good! The calf tear I sustained back in April has been slow to heal and been complicated by the flare up of an old back problem. I am hoping that I am now over the worst of it and able to, quite literally, get back on the right road. I've been exercising all the way through..... but there's nothing quite like running.

So, I'm sitting here glowing about that and contemplating the start of Wimbledon. Will Andy Murray win? Without wishing to sound unpatriotic, I hope that Roger Federer wins. Can there be a professional sportsman who is a better role model for youngsters? I once read an article by a journalist who interviewed him the night before a big tournament final. They were in his hotel room, it was already 1am and it had been a very long day for the player. Just as the interview was about to finish, the journalist realised to his horror that the tape recorder hadn't been switched on.... he was very apologetic but felt dejected that he wouldn't be able to capture the full interview. To his amazement, Federer suggested they just do the whole thing again..... from the beginning.

That story has always stuck in my mind. That a man with that much money, kudos and power was humble enough to do that. He's always had my support since then.If he wins he will also break Pete Sampras' record by winning his 15th Grand Slam title - a truly amazing feat.

So, whoever you are supporting, let's hope that Wimbledon fortnight is the great sporting spectacle it usually is. Let's hope to see effort, passion and sportmanship rewarded. Sounds promising to me.

STOP BEING A VICTIM

A great quotation for you today, one that really made me think.

"The question isn't who is going to let me, it is who is going to stop me!"

Ayn Rand  from "The Fountainhead"

I love things like this, subtle mind-shifts that allow you to stop feeling like a victim and begin acting as the creator of your life. Too much time these days is spent responding to circumstances, rather than designing our lives.

This begins with knowing what you want..... allowing yourself to dream.

Richard Bandler is quoted as saying "Would you get in a taxi if you didn't know where you wanted to go?" What would you say to the driver? Remember, when it comes to your life - you are the driver. Too many of us focus on what we don't want rather than getting clear about where we really want to be going.

Once the destination is established it's about taking responsibility for the journey....... and remember...... Who's going to stop you?

WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!

Not a comment on today's post...... hopefully not anyway.

The title refers to what I got up to yesterday morning.

Normally I spend my Sunday mornings ankle-deep in mud on the touchline of my son's rugby team, but for the next three months it's the off-season. Just the midweek training session and no weekend games. So, I decided to do something different.... something useful.

It's the annual carnival in my village next weekend and to help clean up in preparation for it there was a volunteer litter pick..... so I volunteered. I have to say, it was great fun too. I tried to get the rest of my household involved but I'm ashamed to say the call of the sofa, the Sunday papers and the PS3 was just too strong!

Two hours in the warm June sunshine, hi-vi jacket on and picking-up gadget thing in my hand, I collected two big bin-bags full of rubbish. Where does it all come from? Evidently McDonald's and the off-license are a big part of the answer to that. But who drops it.... and why?

 I don't know about you but I detest litter. How much effort is it to put it in the bin? Maybe they should bring back those great Ronnie Corbett TV adverts of the early 70's - who remembers seeing little Ronnie, up to his neck in rubbish saying "Litter's not much fun, when you're only five foot one"? 

Caring for your environment makes such a difference. Studies have shown that poor environments - derelict buildings, smashed windows etc. are strongly linked to anti-social behaviour. It was great to be able, in a small way, to make a difference to where I live. Just think if everyone did a little something like that..... what an enormous difference we could make to our world.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Well, I'm back..... almost four weeks after my last post.
Sadly my Nan died during this time and although not altogether unexpected, she had Alzheimer's disease for several years, it really shook the roots of my world.

A combination of annual and compassionate leave from work meant that I was away from the surgery for almost three weeks. I've been back here almost a week now after one of the longest months of my life.

My Nan made a huge difference to the lives of other people, not just in our immediate family, but in the wider world. In 2002 she was awarded an MBE by The Queen for services to charity. She and my late grandfather between them put in over 112 years of service to The League of Friends at their local hospital. They were amazing people.

There are wonderful people like them all around the place, quietly working away for the greater good without a thought for themselves. Wouldn't it be great if we heard more about inspiring people like this? Why does the media focus on Real Madrid buying Cristiano Ronaldo for £ 80 million whilst millions die of malaria in Africa for want of a £ 5 mosquito net? You know how much I love football...... but even to me, that's obscene.

Look around you, at your local community. Find out what's going on and think how you can get involved. Now more than ever in this mad, money-driven culture, it's time for us all to start putting something back. Contact me and let me know what you are doing.

So enjoy your weekend and may the sun shine on us all. The blog will resume as normal next week.