Category: Uncategorized

When I was growing up, I never understood how people could like football so much (for my American readers, I am referring to ‘soccer’ here). I grew up in northern England where football is basically a religion. The stadium is at the center of the city. Every other weekend the locals come out in their masses and eagerly walk the streets to watch the game. The outcome of the games genuinely affects the moral of the people. If the team wins, everyone is in a good mood for the week. If they lose, everyone mopes around analysing how this was possible. Either way, conversations are normally dominated by the previous or forthcoming football game.

I have friends that know literally everything about football. They spend their weekends watching multiple games a day. They invest a great deal of time to finding out the most esoteric facts and figures. Their forté is pub trivia nights when they suddenly become…

When I was in the USA, I lived in the midtown area of Atlanta…which was lovely! I was told this was the “gay area” by someone in hushed tones, but honestly I didn’t see the problem – all I saw were friendly strangers who liked to give compliments, and some great brunch establishments! How could anyone hate that?! Certainly always put a smile on my face!

But anyway, this was a little far to travel for some friends who lived outside of the city, so I would hop on the MARTA train and meet them half-way at Bankhead Station…then we’d drive out to some random diner, restaurant, or coffee shop for a catch up on the latest shenanigans…

One of these times stands out, and has been turning over, and over, and over in my head recently – I’m sure it won’t take a genius to work out why…

I was travelling in Canada (I’m from England) and stopped to buy a drink at a little grocery store.

An oldish looking guy followed me out and asked if I had a cigarette. I gave him a cigarette and lit one up and he started asking about the tattoos on my arms. I told him the stories behind them all and noticed he only had one on his forearm. 

In a small, nondescript font it said “Just for today”

I asked him the story behind it and what followed was a tale of him doing every hard drug and [sleeping with] every woman who came his way for 30 years. He had been clean and sober for 12 months at this point after joining a 12 step program and he explained how just for today was one of the steps and it meant that no matter how bad the cravings…

The best kind of people are the ones that come into your life, and make you see the sun where you once saw clouds. The people that believe in you so much, you start to believe in YOU too. The people that love you, simply for being YOU. The once in a lifetime kind of people.  — Unknown