Last Night's Storm

The rain thrashed the window of my room. The wind buffeted the curtain and raced around the house and roof. I listened, tucked firmly in bed. The energy and power of the gale like a persistent knock at the door. Imploring me to open the way, angry at being obstructed. I love wind and rain that rocks the parked cars and strips the dignity from Autumn’s modesty, leaving trees naked and stark.

In the morning the sun was shining. A few scattered leaves played chase outside on the drive as the breeze gently chided them for their laziness. There’s no reminder of the furious angry tirade of the night. Forgiven, forgotten, last nights temper. The world resumes it’s composure

The peace and calm is broken by news of a boat lost at sea. The storm’s anger bending and breaking steel.  Six are missing, the boat sunk. Two were found in a life raft and rescued. The tempest satisfied, even embarrassed by the show, now no more.

 My excitement and thrill at last nights storm now a guilty memory; that I enjoyed the sounds of fury whilst in the Irish Sea 8 men of the ship Swanland were fighting to stay alive.

 The Swanland now sunk in last nights storm

Remember

Remembering the fallen today I was struck by the incongruity I felt. I was reminded of how I felt when I saw the killing fields of Passchendaele and the rows of white named stones each a life that had ended, ended before time. I was reminded of the war memorial at Delville Wood, the stories of bravery and sacrifice retold and retold. When I walked in the fields surrounding the memorial I walked on the ground that buried the blood and bones of bodies, young and old.

Later after a light drizzle of rain I stopped and in the low spring sun I walked over a newly ploughed field. Along the tops of the rows of freshly turned red earth washed and exposed, bullets lay. Weathered and dirty with age yet enduring.  Remembering the day that millions were dispatched by young men to kill other young men. Silent testimonies preserved in brass, of a conflict that requires young men to kill to satisfy the failure of diplomacy and reason.

So I am left empty on this day, not bursting with pride, but confused by our subsequent perpetuation of the destruction. Men called it a "war to end all wars", they pleaded with us to remember them in order that it would never happen again. So "Remember Them" for their sacrifice and the foolishness of war.

To be or not to be....

Everyday is a victory. That just a cliché you might say. Lately, its how I have felt. Life has become so much tougher. 2 years ago I would be hard pressed to spend a day in bed. Now I look forward to it.
 Today is such a day. A day following a tortured night of twisting, helpless in my paralysis, first hot then cold. I woke Debbie twice. The second time I had begun to feel burning pain in my right leg and hip. My right leg and hip took the main impact of my accident and today this is a source of posture discomfit and pain. The damage to my pelvis was called an "open book fracture". The pelvis had separated at the pelvic bone and had been rejoined with a thick stainless steel plate screwed to each half with 4 large stainless steel screws which protrude below the bone into the flesh below. I will never know if there is some effect of this plate. There could be an effect on the blood flow or nerves running down into the right leg. The leg has withered and is limp below the knee. Sensation is dull and sometimes hypersensitive. Hot and cold are felt to extreme and sometimes there is feeling of being deep fried. Elsewhere, my body has almost normal sensation.
Today I am sitting in bed. Just writing this blog and listening to a book. My enthusiasm for the day, dampened by the night passed.
I haven’t been entirely idle. On my good days, just writing emails and finishing off some technical research. The last couple of months have been frustrating as I was preparing a tablet pc to be sent to SA. The job was to help a chap injured in a shooting, which left him paralyzed and in severe pain. With all the movies and books I sent I hope he gets some relief through distraction.

In this picture (below) I am using a tablet similar to that sent to SA.

Working on a Tablet PC with infra-red tracker.