Simon Duringer's Blog, page 19
February 17, 2015
Grace Under Fire
Yes… I know, I know… You’ll all be thinking this post is in the wrong place. But you’re all wrong Room 42 is for Superstars and this is one of them… Well two actually as I feature here too!
In my own defence and to assist me with my ego I think perhaps I should start with a few pictures of the ‘healthy’ Simon… as in the later pictures I look somewhat war torn! So, here I am…
But, now of late things have gone a bit pear shaped. Many of those who have in the past worked in precarious careers may well relate to this post. Me? I was simply an observer and some might say a reporter or evidence collector, but many of the things I have observed during the last 17 years have come back to haunt me… and that’s not been fun at all. They especially hit me when I am asleep, in the form of flashbacks of what I have seen. Indeed often making my breathing pack up and waking me with the worrying notion that I can’t remember how to breath at all. It’s scary shit!
Why now? Who knows… but this post is not so much about me as the hero that allowed me not only to regain my inspiration, but for one reason or another *ahem* enabled me to think about something different whilst sleeping and for the first time in weeks last night I had a decent night’s sleep. So good in fact that after breakfast I went back for a second helping of sleep…
But, I won’t stop there… with no wish to embarrass this hero too much further, they also inspired me to pick up my pen again… (Sadly in hospital I didn’t have my laptop!)
So, here is a message for my new friend, I only know her as Grace… and she came under fire from me with many an innuendo and on numerous occasions this week simply because she was charming. There were many ‘Graces’ in the hospital this week and I simply can’t thank them all enough.
Grace… If I were 20 years younger… well enough said. I am sure there is a good man waiting at home for you so I should say no more, though you do have my number! LOL.
So, here it is…and for those who think I have gone berserk with colours, it refers to the colours of the many uniforms worn in hospital… I am Mr Orange!
Grace Under Fire!
Greens, Blues and Whites to name but a few…
Such a colourful place…
The only oddity being Mr Orange, who in folly makes chase.
A building that makes for unlikely hunting grounds,
It’s full of sickness and unusual nocturnal sounds.
Groans of pain often echo through the rooms,
but Blues, Whites and Greens never seem to croon.
They smile indefinitely regardless of the intense pressures,
In fidelity they are strong, these women are National Treasures.
Regally presentable and so full of smiles,
one might mistake them for serving those using Air Miles.
But, unlike air hostesses more than coffee is served,
The innuendo and quips from Mr Orange are hardly deserved.
For such a noble profession requires such patience,
and not the quips from Mr Orange a most mischievous patient.
Grace constantly under fire from this veracious male diva,
but it was worth being ill just so Mr Orange could see her!
Whilst this week the innuendos have been largely in jest,
Twenty years earlier he’d have been looking for a conquest.
Mr Orange wonders about the surname of Lady Grace,
He considers that ‘ful’ would be fitting in this place.
There were dozens of anonymous Grace’s working in this place,
this unusual arena for anybody to make chase.
These Graces offer hope to the hopeless and all Oranges alike,
they tend to the wounded, even those who give fight.
There is little differentiation between hierarchy of staff,
from top to bottom even the Matron’s a good laugh.
I thank one and all for accepting Orange’s banter,
Arriving struggling to walk but relearning how to canter.
It seems such a shame to have left this place,
where Mr Orange took pleasure in making his chase.
Be nice to all has always been his creed,
respecting one’s elders and all those in need.
So many new friends, yet that time so brief,
they all returned home, past soldiers and chiefs.
Life must go on or sadly for some not,
but one day we will all rejoin for a party, in a heavenly spot.
Until then I continue to banter with those blues and whites,
unashamedly remaining humorous about life’s great fights.
Thanks for the friendships and continuing to smile,
See you one and all in heaven, but hopefully not for a while!
Thank you especially to Grace…Matron and also to all the staff, patients (John, William and Sydney especially) and their families who made my time not only bearable, but quite often brought humour to the table in what was quite a difficult period for us all.
Here’s a little clip I found to hopefully return a few of those giggles!
February 6, 2015
ONLY 1,000
Only 1000 HITS TODAY… Hmmm. I guess everybody is at work?
But that’s fine I had the greatest sleep… just waiting for the hangover to hit in….
If you don’t know me I have several kinda blogs from my website…. The portfolio is published and available in paperback and kindle… The Word Volume 1, ermmm Stray Bullet also, if you missed that you’re at a loss. How do I win on a lottery… sadly my best selling book. and of course The Word Volume 2…. simply filled with so many talented artists and often comics.
Come visit my blog it costs nothing, you’ll meet and read about some incredible talent from across the world…who knows you may even make friends with some of them? I think we’re on 659.000 webhits…. but the target is to get beyond a million. But surely with nearly 100 talented globally renowned author interviews that shouldn’t be a problem…
God bless you all whatever you decide… Simon
February 5, 2015
Whining and wining
I guess most people are pretty fed up with my whining, largely brought on by my wining!
My recent interview with John Winstanley and subsequent post about Mathew Cogley made me think real hard. Strange as it may seem having been together for 3 years, you can’t make somebody love you and whilst my admiration, love and memories for my ex will never fade…I guess it’s time to move on.
Perhaps I was just a play thing…I dunno I guess it doesn’t matter anymore…
I’m off work for a month and on those crazy people pills due to lack of sleep and general low ebb, incidentally they still don’t help me sleep, but I will try and use that month wisely… I have a lot of ideas about writing and more about interviewing and even given a very poor 2 months of my life, you’ve not heard the last of this guy. 2015 WILL be the year for Simon Duringer.
Keep coming back as there is so much going to happen… But not for the next two hours because I really must sleep! LOL.
February 4, 2015
Crying is so hard
http://simonduringer.com/opinions/cry...
Crying is hard
Ladies and gentlemen, for a man to do and admit to it, crying is hard, it’s wimpish… but I have done more of that of late than I care to remember.
John Winstanley, the music promoter and author of Unsigned Unseen visited me today, we talked a lot. His video interview if you haven’t already seen it, is an inspiration, also very sad.
You can find the interview on Simon’s 10 Q Interviews… He’s an inspiration.
It not only tells about John but also about a shining star of Chorley, Mathew Cogley. I spent Christmas and New Year working this year as I knew I would be on my own, I knew that was going to be hard… It was planned. Sadly, Mathew, who I didn’t know personally, clearly didn’t have that foresight and took his own life on New Years Eve.
Watch John’s interview and if you have any spare money donate as Mathew’s family’s wish is that any proceeds from charitable donations go to the music department of Holy Cross School, a fitting tribute for a man that learnt his talent there.
In some ways I wish I could take his place, he was so much more talented than me… even though I didn’t know him, simply watching the video and hearing his talent makes me so sad… God bless you fella, I hope you’re in a better place.
Please donate.
January 28, 2015
John Winstanley The Interview
http://simonduringer.com/…/simons-10-... Don't miss it! #Music #amwriting London
January 27, 2015
Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Today has been sad but necessary. It was closure day…
I retain all the love and respect in the world for my ex girlfriend, but until today had no idea what the cause of our breakup was. As readers will know the breakup caused me so much anxiety and pain during the last few months that most things in life appeared pointless.
Sure, we have seen each other, largely through necessity during the past few months; collecting post, removing belongings etc etc… and sure I dragged that out through hope. Hope that time would be a cureall. But it wasn’t to be, because that old chestnut is correct: Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus…
She would say black, I thought she meant white and so on and so forth… Every message sent I interpreted incorrectly, I was irrevocably flawed in that department. From a man who has made an entire career out of communications, this one I got completely wrong. I know that now and I can only apologise to her for that.
The year 2011 will be a hard one to beat… in fact it will probably still go down as the best in my life with a lady who I adored, still adore, but realise now that our methods of communication are so many worlds apart, that through miscommunications, in the end we brought each other unhappiness. My flaw during this time will probably go down as one of my biggest failures, but in this particular case I think the genes just weren’t matched, upbringings so different, perhaps even past histories played a large part in the failure of this relationship. We both bore skeletons of old that negatively influenced our outlooks on life.
Opposites should attract, perhaps that is what brought us together, but opposites also are just that!
Today, we spent a few hours having coffee and then back to my hovel to gain some warmth and for the first time in a long time we talked… openly, candidly and in my case tearfully. But at last I got it and however painful the outcome, I accept my loss.
She said we can remain friends, I hope so… but given her commitments even as we were together, spending time together was always a challenge for us.
Goodbye sweetheart, thankyou for the wonderful times. As a friend I will always be here for you. Thankyou for finally, painful as it was to hear, giving me some form of closure that I could understand… It’s time to move on… It’s closure day and for one last time, here is the song that we nailed so many times together in the privacy of our home. You Rock!
January 24, 2015
Links to the Greats
http://simonduringer.com/?p=4133
Random Kindness
These last few weeks I have mustered the courage to do all of those things and been surprised and elated by the response from fellow writers, readers and often random strangers.
I'm becoming the old me again but wanted to share this post of what took place last night. It restores faith in human kindness. All is not lost. In fact quite the opposite.
http://simonduringer.com/opinions/ran...
Random Kindness
For the third time in my life I find myself clawing my way back from the bottom… or I did…
Now, finally I have my “toys” back. There’s nothing quite like working three computers concurrently to focus the mind. People take note… If you’re good at these crazy PC games, there’s a whole world of opportunity out there where that talent can be nurtured into a glowing career.
In my day it was Donkey Kong, Space Invaders and that original Atari tennis game the name of which eludes me right now. But as unsociable as it may sometimes appear to others. These skills often teach one to multitask in a way no other can. For example, heading off for aptitude tests in the armed forces, many of those tests are essentially games, albeit in real life there’s a whole lot more at stake. But if one has the peripheral vision that can concentrate successfully on many items at once and react quickly to those bogeyman threats, the chances are one can go far… and quickly. I’ve been there.
These days I am probably not as fast as I used to be but I still enjoy getting things done quickly and effectively…
Of course it’s not all about speed of output but also prioritisation. Operational effectiveness is the word which gets bantered about so much these days. Boxing clever. Getting a grip over one’s fears isn’t easy. The theory can be, but in practice, and for those who have faced fear in whatever form it takes, taking the right course can often be a daunting one, but never unsurmountable.
Clearing my new hovel over the last few days, so many of these books appeared from boxes. Books I haven’t read for years. All about successful habits of the rich and famous and how to pick oneself up from failures, however big or small they may seem to others. I read the odd page of one or two, but to me they’re old hat, the knowledge is already engraved in my memories from so many moons ago, when I would meet death head on very often… Was I canon fodder? no indeed I was not. The majority of what I have seen has not been in foreign lands but right here on home soil. The victims of which most likely never visited a bookshop or were sadly ignorant that help is out there.
I simply wanted to mention a random act of kindness from a most unlikely source. Somebody who knocked on my door last night. We rarely speak… A single green tea bag was offered to help me sleep along with a rather interesting little PG Tips momento toy for good luck. Also a note with the name of two organisations that had helped them in the past. It was a random and unexpected visit.
To all those out there I suggest that even such a small token can make a huge difference. Don’t ignore strangers. There’s always something that can be done. Truth of the matter is that it wasn’t required, but that doesn’t negate the thought involved by that third party and once again I am grateful.
I have my toys back and these few days off have enabled me to make this hovel my own. Boxes unpacked, that’s right unpacked, I have decided to give it another month. I know what needs to be done in the future, the knowledge is there. The action list written. Done through prior knowledge and with the help of the pills that helped me think straight once again. Not to mention some cracking sleep they helped me gain.
http://simonduringer.com will be reborn in 2015, newer, better, more inovative…
Keep watching people as this man is no quitter, quite the opposite. Many good friends, mostly ‘virtual’ friends helped remind me of that. Acts of random kindness, advice and the knowledge I’m not the first person to hit such hard times has for sure reminded me of who I am.
Yes, I do still hold out hopes for a reconciliation, but I know for that I must also make some changes and once those changes are made, whatever the outcome I will turn out a better person than before…
Look out for the interviews coming up in the next few weeks as I will be looking for more Simon’s 10 QI victims, but also some new victims, victims of on the spot verbal interviews…
Let’s have some fun, raise some profiles and sell some books!
Have a great weekend one and all and if anybody is suffering from what I have just been through feel free to drop me a line… I’d be happy to share the limited knowledge I have.
Now get out there and visit my amazon pages and see whose been before you in The Word: The Best of Simon’s 10Q Interviews
and The Word: Volume 2
. Check out Stray Bullet
for the thriller ride of your life and if you how pennies spare and are wondering what to do with them why not check out How do I win on a lottery ? The Top 20 Lotto Systems
After all you will not only learn some great systems based on probability, but also a great history of why the lottery all started back in the days of Keno, thousands of years ago… The best of it all. All my books are free on Kindle Unlimited and to Amazon Prime members and you can’t say fairer than that! Good day Y’all!
Follow the link to your country as follows;
United Kingdom: Simon Duringer Author Page
Unites States: Simon Duringer Author Page
My books are also available on all Amazon Global sites!
Simons 10 Q Interviews was a Finalist in the U.K. Blogging Awards 2014.
