Pride
The regular readers among you will know that I have been thinking long and hard about my position in the world recently and whether the contribution I make to 'life' as it were is actually worthwhile. A good amount of contemplation recently reminded me of an event a few years ago now in which I really did put some things into perspective for me. I remember it was early in the summer, I was soon to take my A2s was invited to and evening at Thanet College (who still, by the way, hold me up as a shining example of a science student - if only they knew the truth now!), to attend a prize evening in which I was to receive a prize for achievement at AS level. In all honesty, I didn't want to be there, and to make matters worse, Chelsea were on the television playing Barcelona in an extremely important Champions' League match and I would much have preferred to have been at home watching that as compared with sitting through hour upon hour of speeches and prize givings. To make matters worse still, I was the very first person up, so had to receive my prize and then sit patiently through the whole of the rest of the event acting like I was interested when in reality, I didn't really want to be there.
In fairness if I had been rude or slightly less embarassed at the prospect, I could have, I suppose, left the evening and slipped out at an appropriately timed moment. You will be pleased to know then reader, that I did not, and to tell the truth, I am glad I did not.
Why? Because the site of the young people with various disabilities and learning difficulties receiving their various awards was perhaps one of the most emotional moments of my life thus far. There was one young man especially I remember who suffered from Down's Syndrome who was given an award for something (I can't remember precisely what) in the form of a small trophy. To see this young man raise his trophy above his head as if he had just won the F.A. Cup and was standing in front of a packed Wembley crowd nearly set me off in tears. You will be pleased to learn that this one small event raised the biggest cheer of the night and was so strong in my mind that it sticks with me still, some four years on. To think how hard his life must be, and how hard he must have worked to get where he got then, to receive what may well be one of the biggest accolades of his life really did impact upon me in a strong way. You see at the end of the day , there were a number of people at the evening who really did want to be there, whose achievements really were worth recognising and who each made my achievements in my AS levels seems insignificant and worthless in comparisson.
It is to these fine few then that I dedicate this blog, and who I hold - and continue to hold - in the very highest regard. These fine people will always make whatever I have done to date, and whatever I may do in future, pale in comparisson. They are the real achievers; not me with my A levels and my books. They showed me what real pride is.
I don't think I'll look at an award in the same way ever again.