This is Ground Control...

...come in number 5 your time is up!
Six weeks is nearly up and I'm arranging to go back to work on a phased return which means increasing my hours each week until I'm back up to full time in about a month. I wont go into much detail about what I've been through while off work as that is private to me. I will say that my timing could have been better. Not having much time to myself, with the Summer holidays and all, but still it couldn't be helped. Still haven't started the talking therapy either, though I'm told this should start in about six weeks now. Hence my reasons for wanting to get back to work. Being off any longer would be detrimental I feel both to me and work. As is the way I never quite got the things I had planned to do out of the way either. Hey Ho!


A question of faith
I am to all intent and purpose a lapsed catholic. Have been for some years. As you can imagine trying to reconcile being me and attending a church which doesn't like to encourage that kind of thing has created some issues for me. I wasn't too bothered about Pope Benny coming across and selling his wares, so to speak. It wasn't of interest. I have my own faith and belief that I am still a Christian and will try and live my life that way irrespective of whether I go to church. I also felt that people had the right to protest for those issues they felt let down by the Catholic church. However over the time his nibs was over here I was really taken aback by some of the things said. Sometimes with little research or basis in fact, more word of mouth. Don't get me wrong some issues were eloquently and rightly put across in a balanced and proactive way. Others less so. It even seemed that the BBC in their efforts to get a balanced view were at times shooting themselves in the foot. You could sometimes see interviewers squirming out of embarrassment, that they were involved with airing some of the views for this same reason. The result for me was to feel consciously that maybe I should be sticking up for, if not for the church, but the communities of people I know make it up. Those who would probably have no problem with who I am but have been tarred with the same brush. Those who will make the difference in the longer term. What I think I'm trying to say is I am a lapsed Catholic, but it was/is still part of my history and in a sense my community. By all means put the arguments and protests forward in a proper way, but if you think just shouting loudest wins the contest either way, don't be surprised if people like me switch off.


"People are strange, when you're a stranger..."
To quote the Doors, probably badly. I have noticed recently, as my looks become slightly blurred, with the long dyed hair and plucked eyebrows, that I am getting more and more strange looks. Not that much of a problem for me but an observation. Also getting madamed a bit more in shops. The best being in a shoe shop with my wife and the assistant asking if you girls need any help? Something we laughed about afterwards.


Following My Conscience
OK I admit to being slightly intrigued by recent happenings/speeches/goings on and wonder if I should be listening to my conscience more? Trying to be out there doing stuff proactively TG wise is all well and good but not much use if I'm hiding who I am in my every day world. I don't mean by being out there in people's faces. More by being honest if someone asks. Stating who I am in a quiet way. Possibly that will have a greater effect. Making it more real out there, all round. A thought to think about anyway.