Achilles Heel…

Saturday was a family day up north. It’s been a while since I had attended a big family get together; infact when we had one last year, I decided to skip it and get out of town for a while. The setting of the get together is always awesome. First requirement – there is always a barbecue; there is just something else in the taste of the food which is cooked on a coal fire! Then, there is the company; I love spending time with the oldies – there are always stories to tell and listen to, always the political arguments, sports, more politics, stories from yesteryear (they just never get too old).

However, the greatest time during these occasions is the gathering of all the kids in the family. At almost 27, I am the oldest of all in the UK; but just as when I was 12 or 13, I have my group of people around me and we do our thing. The thing is… as I have grown older… my company hasn’t. The age range of the people I hang out with is between zero to 10 years old.

One can spend umpteen hours in the company of the grey haired ones, and come close to understanding the meaning of life, but when I hang around the kids, I SEE life. I LOVE the energy that they maintain through the day. I love listening to their stories, their experiences, what they did at school, the time that they fell down last week; I love playing the games that they made up, answering their umpteen questions. I love asking my kiddos questions and then watching them exercise their imagination and make up an answer, I love teaching them new things, and experience them actually remember them so many months down the line – the feeling is just awesome! (Pics on TwitPic)

I love the length of day that summer brings us in the UK; for those who don’t know – sunset is round about 2130 in London on the longest day of the year (21st June). I don’t know about you, but I love the satisfaction of spending creative time with so many energetic people. All in all there were 12 of them under the age of 10, and it is very interesting to see how each one acts as a role model to another, and how they look up to each other – it’s a promising sign for this generation.

As we wrapped up the day and headed back into London village late at night, I realised once again why I love driving…. driving long distances… it gives me that chance to think, contemplate, converse with myself, relax, and enjoy music like it should be – sung out loud. During this journey back, I thought…. and I sang to the music… I sang with every track…..

I thought about how I missed the moments with the kids already. I thought about how I spent almost every weekend babysitting my cousins and nephews and nieces when I was at university. I thought about something which has been niggling at the back of my mind for the last couple of days too…

This weekend marks a year since I learnt what it meant to be alone again. What is so weird is that the circumstances were almost the same – day trip up north on the Saturday, busy day working on the Sunday… and heart break on Sunday night. I have peace in knowing that I won’t go without sleep for two or three whole days this time around (I hope). I thought about the last year, and the trials and tribulations, and thought about the lows and the very lows; then I thought about the day that I had, and the people I was around. I thought of the people I have had the opportunity to get to know in the last year, and what they mean to me. There was a common factor in what I am missing from every aspect….

I then caught drift of the track to which I was subconsciously singing to…

… and it fits in with what I have been thinking about most…

Companionship….

… my Achilles heel…

(This is how Toploader said it)

(Anyone see the subtle connection in the video and the post?)

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