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    The Great Gordino Newsletter - Issue 348 - Mon 9th Jan 2006
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    Archive Issues online at - gordonbryan.com/archive

    Hi There,

    I hope Monday finds you well.

    Last week it would have come as no surprise that I was rattling
    on about New Year resolutions.

    It prompted me to think if there was anything I intended to do
    last year, but didn't.
    It didn't take me long to remember, and as a result I had an
    interesting weekend.

    Long time readers will know that I like American Football,
    and I've always taken an interest in the player who takes the kicks.
    That's because they don't do much running, they don't throw,
    they don't catch, they don't get hit by the big blokes, and there
    are plenty of top class players still doing it over 40.

    So, I spent some time online, and tracked down a local team,
    the Maidstone Pumas, got in touch and asked if I could come
    along to training.
    Their first session was yesterday, and after I had woken up with
    one of those 'God what have I done?' feelings, I set off for practice.

    The people there were a mixture of big blokes, very big blokes
    and people who had never done it before.
    Lots of people were admitting how unfit they were, which was
    encouraging to a couch potato like me.

    I was more than a little nervous, because when I first went to
    long jump training, they got a teenage girl to show me a warm up,
    and I was heaving by the side of the track before she was half way through.

    Hmm...

    We started with a run around the pitch, which the coach laughingly
    referred to as 'a jog'.
    Then he asked for a quicker second lap, and by the time we had
    finished the 3rd lap, I was already struggling.
    It wouldn't have been so bad if there had been a few of us
    throwing up, but no, it was just me.

    Like a lamb to the slaughter, I went back for more, with 4,
    yes 4 sessions of technicolour yawning.
    By this time people were telling me that I was looking 'a bit white'.

    I kept thinking 'all I want to do is to try and kick the
    bloody thing'.

    I had even let a bit of stubble grow on my face so that I looked
    a bit more macho.
    Maybe it worked, but it's a bit difficult to look macho when you are
    heaving your guts up in front of 40 complete strangers.
    4 times.

    So I learnt a few things.
    When I go back next week I will steer the pre-training conversation
    towards some kicking practice.

    I also learnt again to not judge a book by its' cover.
    During my sessions of being, er, ill, nearly everyone came up to see
    if I was ok.
    Fair enough, they had enough opportunity, but all the big blokes who
    looked cocky and unfriendly all asked me how I was.
    I recently read a quote that said 'people may or may not remember what
    you said, they may or may not remember what you did, but they will
    *always* remember how you made them feel.'

    It's a good saying isn't it, and yesterday I was made to feel welcome,
    and you can't say fairer than that.
    I think my days of playing certain sports are behind me, but I will still
    try the kicking to get the idea out of my system.

    That's one of the main points about it.
    If you wonder if you can do something, whatever you do, do NOT wait until
    you are too old, then look back and wonder what would have happened if you tried.
    You should be able to look back and know, because you got up and tried it.

    Another reason I have let some stubble grow on my face, is that my car
    is due for the MOT test.
    This certificate is needed in the UK for all cars over 3 years old, and
    since I drive old bangers, it can be an unsettling time for me and the car.
    I don't know much about cars, it just doesn't interest me to acquire the
    knowledge, but since I don't want the garage to stitch me up, I again
    thought it might be helpful to look a bit less sweet and innocent than I normally do.

    I set off this morning, still feeling a bit ginger after the American
    Football, and when I pulled onto the motorway the drive power cut out completely.
    I pulled off to the side, and tried Plan A, which is to wait a couple of
    No joy there, so it was a quick phone call to the roadside relay service.
    I was impressed by how quickly they arrived, but not so impressed when he
    asked me why I had let the car run out of petrol!
    I could have told him that I didn't want to fill up in case the garage test
    was terminal and I had to dump the car, but judging by the look on his face
    I decided against it.

    So that's 2 embarrassing incidents in quick succession.
    I think I will wear my glasses at the jam night tonight, as I have visions of
    a snapping drum stick or twanging geetar string homing in on my eye, with a
    5 hour wait in casualty.

    Ok, that's it for today, we're one week into 2006, how are your goals progressing
    - have you taken action?

    'Til Next Time,
    Health and Happiness,
    Gordon
    email me at gordon@gordonbryan.com - you'll have to copy and paste
    thanks to the idiot online spammers!



    
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