Good things
I have had a good day.
It's Friday and I have the whole weekend ahead of me. I'll be by myself for a lot of tomorrow which means I'll have some time to myself, so I'm going to wake up early, get a cup of tea and then go back to bed and snooze. Bliss!
Another good thing happened just now. I just finished watching the last episode of Firefly with my sister (second time I'd seen it; first time she had) and then I came on here and went on eBay and looked for the Serenity comics. And I found a seller who was offering the second installment of Serenity for £2 as a buy it now listing (i.e. you don't have to bid in an auction, you just buy it). That's the cheapest I've seen any Serenity comic on there for - everyone else is holding auctions and getting the highest price they can for it (I want to say 'ripping off' but not only is it within people's rights to hold auctions like that, but also that's what eBay's for and I bought the first Serenity comic on auction for over £10 so I can't really talk). I was just so pleased to see the comic so cheap - even though I couldn't get the Kaylee cover. It didn't matter. And Serenity itself is coming out in October, and I'm going to see it with Ross. I don't care that I'll be at one end of the country and he'll be at the other - I'm going to see it with him, because it's what I said I'd do.
But now, moving on to the thing that will stick in my memory about today.
I was walking home from work today and I went through the park at the end of our road. I always walk across it - it's such a nice way to go home and it's a great shortcut. There's this huge green field with a cricket and football pitch and trees alongside the car park and the fence next to the canal at the back of it, and there's a bowling green, putting green, paddling pool, tennis courts, playground, basketball court and skate ramp ... it's a nice park ... anyway. I was just getting to the far side of the park when I saw something that made me literally stop and relive a memory from when I was very young. A couple were helping their young daughter to take her first bike ride without stabilisers. The little girl was blonde and riding a pink bike with white wheels. The mother was looking on, and the father was right behind the little girl on the bike, holding her upright, helping her pedal those first few essential feet. And as she did, she sped up a little bit, and gradually her dad fell back a bit until she rode a few feet on her own and carried on a little way. She stopped after a few seconds, but she'd ridden her bike on her own with her dad right behind her.
I had such a big grin on my face watching that. I'm grinning the same stupid big grin now as I remember it. I actually stopped and looked at them; I couldn't help myself. I didn't know whether to hide behind a tree or not but they couldn't see me so it didn't matter. I almost, but not quite, felt as if I was intruding on something very important and personal, but I was the only onlooker and I'm really glad I witnessed it. It was such a beautiful moment. It made me think of when my dad did exactly the same thing for me in Laleham park near where my grandparents live, years and years ago. I remember the moment vividly, except that everything in my memory is big and fast and a little blurred. I remember my mum taking my younger sister to play on the swings and slides (mum wasn't looking on; I guess you kinda have to divide your attention when you've got two small children!). I remember dad right behind me, pushing me forwards and helping me cycle. In my memory I am hurtling along at an incredible speed like a hundred miles an hour - or at least that's how it felt then when I was so small - and the bike ride is bumpy and exciting, and I teeter along, wondering whether I'll fall off, until I reach the fence of the playground where lots of children are playing, and then I stop.
That's where the memory ends. Today just brought it all back again. But I remember that moment, my first bike ride without stabilisers, a lot. I just felt so happy today seeing something that recalled my first bike ride so perfectly. And it was such a beautiful afternoon, and there were no other children or parents around this family. It was like they were captured in that moment, so happy and excited. I walked out of the park smiling, not looking back because that image was just so strong in my mind. It was amazing.
It's Friday and I have the whole weekend ahead of me. I'll be by myself for a lot of tomorrow which means I'll have some time to myself, so I'm going to wake up early, get a cup of tea and then go back to bed and snooze. Bliss!
Another good thing happened just now. I just finished watching the last episode of Firefly with my sister (second time I'd seen it; first time she had) and then I came on here and went on eBay and looked for the Serenity comics. And I found a seller who was offering the second installment of Serenity for £2 as a buy it now listing (i.e. you don't have to bid in an auction, you just buy it). That's the cheapest I've seen any Serenity comic on there for - everyone else is holding auctions and getting the highest price they can for it (I want to say 'ripping off' but not only is it within people's rights to hold auctions like that, but also that's what eBay's for and I bought the first Serenity comic on auction for over £10 so I can't really talk). I was just so pleased to see the comic so cheap - even though I couldn't get the Kaylee cover. It didn't matter. And Serenity itself is coming out in October, and I'm going to see it with Ross. I don't care that I'll be at one end of the country and he'll be at the other - I'm going to see it with him, because it's what I said I'd do.
But now, moving on to the thing that will stick in my memory about today.
I was walking home from work today and I went through the park at the end of our road. I always walk across it - it's such a nice way to go home and it's a great shortcut. There's this huge green field with a cricket and football pitch and trees alongside the car park and the fence next to the canal at the back of it, and there's a bowling green, putting green, paddling pool, tennis courts, playground, basketball court and skate ramp ... it's a nice park ... anyway. I was just getting to the far side of the park when I saw something that made me literally stop and relive a memory from when I was very young. A couple were helping their young daughter to take her first bike ride without stabilisers. The little girl was blonde and riding a pink bike with white wheels. The mother was looking on, and the father was right behind the little girl on the bike, holding her upright, helping her pedal those first few essential feet. And as she did, she sped up a little bit, and gradually her dad fell back a bit until she rode a few feet on her own and carried on a little way. She stopped after a few seconds, but she'd ridden her bike on her own with her dad right behind her.
I had such a big grin on my face watching that. I'm grinning the same stupid big grin now as I remember it. I actually stopped and looked at them; I couldn't help myself. I didn't know whether to hide behind a tree or not but they couldn't see me so it didn't matter. I almost, but not quite, felt as if I was intruding on something very important and personal, but I was the only onlooker and I'm really glad I witnessed it. It was such a beautiful moment. It made me think of when my dad did exactly the same thing for me in Laleham park near where my grandparents live, years and years ago. I remember the moment vividly, except that everything in my memory is big and fast and a little blurred. I remember my mum taking my younger sister to play on the swings and slides (mum wasn't looking on; I guess you kinda have to divide your attention when you've got two small children!). I remember dad right behind me, pushing me forwards and helping me cycle. In my memory I am hurtling along at an incredible speed like a hundred miles an hour - or at least that's how it felt then when I was so small - and the bike ride is bumpy and exciting, and I teeter along, wondering whether I'll fall off, until I reach the fence of the playground where lots of children are playing, and then I stop.
That's where the memory ends. Today just brought it all back again. But I remember that moment, my first bike ride without stabilisers, a lot. I just felt so happy today seeing something that recalled my first bike ride so perfectly. And it was such a beautiful afternoon, and there were no other children or parents around this family. It was like they were captured in that moment, so happy and excited. I walked out of the park smiling, not looking back because that image was just so strong in my mind. It was amazing.