I made my mind up early in the day as what would qualify for
this challenge. I even told someone I
had found my challenge moment, but actually, I’ve changed my mind. To be truthful I’m not even sure which I
would want to hold the pole position for this Tuesday, so I’ve going to mention
both, and you can choose, or not, as you want.
Today was Sports Day.
I have learnt since September that this school I work in has its own
character, it does things a particular way.
This is both a strength and frustrating at times, but I am so new and enamoured
of the place, I forgive the foibles. I am aware that, like relationships, the charm
and difference of the new can grate in time, so I’m trying appreciate these
early months, rather than believe the cynicism that can rear its head from time
to time in the staff room.
My form are a nice bunch of students, albeit a bit
naughty. They are Year 9 after all (3rd
Form to those of you who remember old money), and it is a time of growing into
your strength and finding boundaries to push against. I do doubt my ability to provide firm and
consistent boundaries, but I think I’m getting somewhere. Our Head of Year is a fierce and unsmiling
man of the north east, where men are real men and women stand no nonsense, and
without doubt he runs the year with a strong grip and total fairness. When we wait for assembly to start, it is in
total silence and all uniform is correct.
He is a great support when faced with the ambiguities of the job and so at
the end of Sports Day, when my naughtiest boys wanted to go to the lavatory just
before prize giving to remove the face paint that they daubed so extensively at
the start of the day, despite me telling them it might itch later, I said no,
after all we were meant to be sitting down for the next bit. I had the big blue eyes ‘pretty please’ routine
tried on me, and I still said no, but they could ask the Head of Year. To my amazement he said ‘yes’, and I laughed
and couldn’t resist telling him. I went up to him and told him it had made me
day because I had been fiercer than him.
A smile cracked his face, a genuine human smile. It rather summed up the whole day, whilst
control was kept, we all stepped down from our roles in the school, relaxing
and enjoying the willingness of the students to compete and applaud all in the warm
sunshine.
So that could be enough, but I had hatched another
plan. I was meeting a Norwich friend later
for a drink and a bit to eat, and I wondered if I should cycle. The story of my bicycle is for another day,
but it is here in Norwich and I have all the kit, but the last time I had the
bike out I got a bit frightened as the gears slipped whilst I was in traffic,
so I haven’t been out again. I wanted
to, Norwich is full of cyclists and it’s a lovely warm summer evening. I had planned my route via the cycle maps
online and worked out I could avoid all the major roads down to where we were
meeting. I’ve bought a decent lock. Something I told myself was essential, thus
stopping myself going out for a while whilst I deliberated as to how strong it
should be. Such delaying tactics were
cowardice I told myself firmly, but it stayed on the side for some time, until tonight
when I took a depth breath and cut that out of the packaging and programmed it,
getting myself sorted. With some
trepidation I set off, and it was brilliant.
I was soon down to the Grosvenor Fish and Chip shop, one of the best I
have ever been too, and my friend and I had a lovely chat with supper, then a
drink afterwards in a local pub garden.
Slightly nervously I got ready to go back. I had trouble with my front light and
slightly panicked, but actually it was alright.
Soon I was pedalling back up to lanes and here to the cottage. It wasn’t very long, but just that short ride
was exhilarating. I may have thought I had
lost total fitness, but I know I haven’t, and tomorrow I’m off to the gym by
bike. Madness, possibly, but it put a
smile on my face.
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