7th January 2008 - Rant for Today, it seems to be me, me, me!!!

Today is the first real day back at work after the New Year festivities.

2008 is going to be good, 2008 is going to be full of memorable events and 2008 is going to be a year of opportunity...........

I will do everything I can to make these beliefs reality. I will do all I can to help my family benefit from these thoughts, and I will do all possible to help my family and friends through any tribulations that may befall them. I know they have done for me in the past and i am sure will carry on in the future.

I know what a very demanding person I am, and I know that many things I experience and have experienced before seem to cause or have caused no end of issues and more problems than for others.

Because in my fragile state issues that would normally be "a nothing" or better still something to laugh about, currently and in the past seem huge problems.

I know that to most people whether or not the chocolate on Bourbon bisuits is real is very unimportant, and I realise that to me this should also be of no consequence, but, for some reason even this is important to me and may cause me a worry. My family have put up with this, my wife has understood this, been my true soulmate throughout all, and kept my children fairly oblivious to this strange mania.

My friends - my true friends who know who they are - have understood my strange mania, often have made me laugh and have just been there for me as I need them.

I know that things don't just go away and get better over-night, and I know a long and interesting journey to travel remains ahead, but, every day the destination gets a little closer and without my wife, my children and my friends it would still be a lot further away.

My analagy revolving around biscuits is in many ways flippant, however, it is also not that far from reality. Small issues may be huge to me the difference is the "carpet" doesn't have as much swept under it and I am seeing again that it is actually often easier to deal with an issue head on rather than ignoring it and hoping it will go away.

I appreciate that dealing with stuff head on frequently creates its own problems. A normal rational person may well see this as an opportunity and relish the challenges created.

I still see more problems than opportunities, however, and purely as a result of the support I have, I now see some opportunity, and now I can sometimes turn around a bad situation and see a solution.

Now, this is a "rant" and a little idealistic, but, I (and others) have been through the mill and seen badness in everything. It is this that has spured on this rambling blog. I am not a doctor, physcologist or counsellor. I am just an average dad, who is away from home frequently trying hard, and not always managing, to support my family as they need.

And so I make this offer, with no strings, and no solutions implied or promised, but an offer never the less, to read any comments posted and to offer advice on these from my experiences.

Who knows from this friendships may spring up, solutions may be found, a bespoke "help" blog may begin. Most of all a problem shared may be one for many to help with, and as I have received so much help in the past this is a small way to give something back............

Post away!!!