Life can be a Pain

So pleased you had such a wonderful trip @Owlunar

yes lotf of history up here , and lots of trail blazing stories to read

Yes @Zoe7

I took a big step out of my comfort-zone - I have learned to do that - I protect my spine as much as possible but there are times when business class is little islands of peace in the middle of a rushing humanity that really doesn't care about me and I don't care much about them either

Boy - as they say - there is none so queer as folks - I handled it though and shoved back once when I needed to - there are times when we all need to be "tough" at times.

I am pleased with myself for handling such a stream of people in a hurry though - I did well standing in the queues I pay to keep out of - thinking about it - I have a stronger sense of my confidence - I didn't always have that - and less so after I hurt my spine - but I am getting better about travel - and crowded airports

Life could always be easier and more gentle - and boring.

Dec

I am not big on crowds either @Owlunar but that is hard to avoid in my profession. I often need to compartmentalise what I am doing from the rest of the people around me in order to get through some situations. It is not easy to do - especilly when it is noisey - I don't like noise much either - bit hard to achieve in a class of nearly 30 kids

I understand @Zoe7

I taught CRE in schools for years and there were times when the noise in the classroom was deafening

What am I saying - there were times in my own home when that was true and there were only two kids - and me of course - at home I could raise my voice as loud as I could

One thing I have found is that uncontrolled noise can become distorted when my back pain is bad - and I feel as if I am shouting when people can hardly hear me

It makes communication difficult at times - I get it - it must be really difficult in the class room

Dec

There are different kinds of noises too @Owlunar - those where the kids are engaged and talking about their work and then the noise of them at play - that is the hardest to deal with for me - I really hate when kids squeal - it makes me think they are hurt and that is not always the case.

Thanks @outlander

I love the picture you posted and yes - I was healed in lots of ways travelling this time

My knee - yes - it's nearly a year since I had the arthoscopy and it hasn't been an easy recovery - ups and downs and good and bad - I think when I went to Hobart getting in and out of my aunt's little car - back seat - I really stuffed it up - and at Hobart there is no easy walk on and off the plane - it's up and down the stairs in public and yeah - business class goes first and I had to get someone else to carry my hand luggage - ah - nuf sed

But this trip I walked and walked - I got my mojo back or whatever we get back - and since I have been home I have been walking too - you are right - it's not good to have pain all the time and you know about that

Goll-ee - today has gone fast - it has been a good day - pretty warm too - but yes - flying over NSW I could see that drought - really terrible and yet the colours are surrealistic - we had a 13 year drought in Victoria not to long ago - I remember - it was tough - this time I saw the outback and it was really something

It will take time for an injury like that to your hand to recover - and yet we use our hands all the time - I could suggest something for healing bones at the pharmacy - people take it for arthritis - you could ask your pharmacist about it - I find it really helpful

Dec

I know that squeal well @Zoe7 - my kids would do that and I would imagine anything and everything in the time it took for me to get a few yards and find it was nothing

Or something

My heart would be in my mouth - I forget about that most of the time now - but I remember

And that kind of squeal is ear-piercing

Dec

It is piercing @Owlunar and completely unnecessary There was one boy who used to do it a lot and we would have to talk to him about it - it was something he took a long time to stop doing.