I have a severe affliction of OneMoreJob-itis, GreenLight-itis
(or Travel Utopia) and AllThoseFiveMinuteJobsAddUp-itis.
Or dare I say, I had?
Today I had a hospital appointment booked for 9am. Anybody
who knows where I live and the location of my local hospital six point eight
miles away, will know that if you cross your fingers, have a good wind behind
you, an impressive grasp of alternative car parking spaces and leave home at
around 4am, you'd be unlucky not to make it in time.
I decided to go on the train.
I toyed with the idea of catching the 8.22 as per my normal
way of being. The train would arrive at 8.36 (no, punctual people, of course it
wouldn’t be delayed), the one point one mile walk would take twenty minutes,
thus leaving me with a couple of minutes to check in at the well-staffed, all
systems working like clock-work desk for Out Patients.
But today I decided that I would step away from living on the
edge and just for once, I'd take the earlier train. Even with delays, I'd still
have time to walk over the slightly further but very much drier path rather
than run/walk in heels (hey! I'm five foot two on my tip-toes, people tread on
me if I don’t wear heels), with my cross over bag tossing like a caber on my
back, over the shorter (as the crow flies) muddy fields.
Besides, if I got there early I could have a coffee and do some
writing. And that, dear readers, is how I come to be writing this blog post
now.
I confess I did run onto the train from the station for my
out-bound journey, which is only three minutes from my house, (well actually,
it's forty seconds, providing the road you're trying to cross has been blocked
off or it's FA Cup Saturday) but once the train had arrived perfectly on time
and I'd begun my walk, I experienced something new.
I walked fairly briskly, I'm not sure 'sedate' is really in
my psyche, but without even a whisper of needing to do my run/walk. I stepped without
adrenalin pumping into my feet or angst puncturing my every thought that I
might be late. I walked over crunching frost and noticed the blue of the sky. I
enjoyed the cold air on my face with my hands nestled deep in my favourite
gloves, without concern I might be sweating.
I arrived at the hospital half an hour in advance of my
appointment, bought myself a take-out coffee - no queue – decided I'd have time
to get my blood test done – no queue – which I'd originally planned to do after
the 9am appointment and probably would have forgotten until I was on that
return train home. I checked-in, took my seat and my pen and paper from my bag
and am now waiting for my appointment. Let me say that again: I am waiting for my appointment.
Punctual people, I get it now.
