The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

I go on holiday, see Forest [hopefully, but doubtfully] win their first playoff match against Swansea and then bring my Mum to China.

It’s also an exciting week for you because as of today, this is a blog bollocks free zone for almost 3 weeks.

THREE WEEKS.

Don’t say I don’t spoil you.

Anyway, of all these things, the one I’m excited about the most is my Mum’s visit.

I’m excited because she gets to see where I live … I’m excited because I get to show her around … I’m excited because I get to spoil her … but most of all, I’m excited because I’m going to see her.

I love my Mum.

She is a wonderful and inspirational woman.

She has put up with my tantrums, moods and hair-brained schemes as well as supported my ideas, ambitions and hair-brained scheme.

She [and Dad] let me ‘believe’ in the possibilities I wanted for my life as well as assure me that I’d be looked after if it failed.

OK, they didn’t exactly want me to fail … and I certainly tested their patience on a number of matters … but at the end of the day, their goal was for me to feel happy and that is a gift that I only have started to appreciate.

I should point out that their liberal attitude didn’t extend to me being able to sit on my ass and do nothing … I had to earn their trust … but at the major crossroads in my life, where each choice would have major ramifications, they always backed me – even when it meant that I would be turning my back on things that they secretly [and in my Dad’s case] and not so secretly wished I’d do.

So here she is, at 78 coming to China.

SEVENTY EIGHT.

OK, so I’m her only son and my friends at Virgin Atlantic are going to look after her … however it’s still a pretty big thing for a lady of her years to do and given there’s a shitload of people who complain about 5 hour flights or going “to the East” I love that she gives them all the [metaphorical] finger.

I’ve said it before, my Mum wants to prove people wrong.

She does not want to be defined by age.

That doesn’t mean she wears clothes for 30 year olds or listens to hip hop, it means she wants to be relevant to the times – so things like technology and travel aren’t to be feared, but embraced.

She wants to know what is going on in her community, country and World – from news to culture – and she will view them with an open mind and accept that even if she doesn’t like something, it’s not wrong – it’s just a choice and a matter of taste.

She doesn’t judge … she doesn’t discriminate … she doesn’t make excuses.

She is a woman who has given the World so much and still wants to contribute and learn and quite frankly, she represents an attitude that would not only benefit us all individually, but on a bigger scale … so that’s why the next few weeks are going to be so great, because I’m going to be with my Mum, the greatest Mum in the whole wide World.