We may be seeing the last rays of the summer sun and the school runs may be back but this week I am all about the good news. And it is because of this news that I delayed this week’s blog post. Why?
Let me explain.
In August, as you know, Husband and I had a holiday in Rome, filled with blissful (and large quantities of) food, drink and a large amount of sight-seeing. Although much of the enjoyment was down to the edible delights in the land of food and adventure, what really helped me was seeing how much I can really do now. I could walk for miles, I could cycle, I could appear to everyone as a perfectly normal, healthy young(ish) woman and I loved that.
Now, if you’re a friend on Facebook (hi! Thanks for reading) you’ll probably already be aware I did the Glow in the Park 6k fun run at Longleat last Saturday. If you’re not a Facebook friend (hi! Thanks for reading), here’s a pic that captures the fun a little:
This was a HUGE achievement for me. Even 6 months ago I couldn’t have imagine I’d be able to do something like this by the end of the year and okay, I didn’t run for more than about a kilometer but the point is I DID IT. Five years after my M.E diagnosis and I’m still working hard to prove I can have a great, fun-filled life. And it’s given me a hunger to do more, so my friends and I are signing up for the Run for Chocolate in February. It’s slightly less entertaining than Glow in the Park, which involved a thick covering of UV gunge, a foam party and lots of UV stuff but you do get a chocolate goody bag and a luxury hot chocolate at the end.
But there’s more good news!
When Husband and I got back from Italy, I decided maybe I was well enough to return to the world of gainful employment. This is easier said than done, since I need something that I can do part-time, leaving space and energy for working towards my degree, volunteering at the RSPCA and helping my friend run his pub quiz. Also – and this part is crucial – I need a job I can love.
And would you believe it? We’d been back less than a week when I came across something that fit perfectly. Pets Corner, close to my home, was looking for part time staff. I love this place. Not only do they have reptiles (I’ve adored snakes and lizards since I was very young), they are also the most ethical, animal-and-customer friendly pet shop in the UK. They sell high quality products and if they don’t meet their exacting standards, they don’t sell it. I fell on the application like a dying man in the desert falls on an oasis. I filled it out and then made myself forget all about it.
Roughly two weeks later I was invited for an interview, my first in almost 14 years (yikes), and I had fewer nerves on my wedding day! It was quite a fun interview in the end but afterwards, I had no idea how it had gone. Worse, there was a young lad applying for the same job…and it seemed there was nothing he didn’t know about animals. AND he was built like a quarterback. And I couldn’t even resent him because he was genuinely lovely. I found myself almost hoping he got the job!
Well, yesterday, I received an email offering me a job at Pets Corner. It’s not quite what I had gone for, as it will be five hours on Saturdays, but I don’t mind at all. It’s a foot in the door and who knows? Maybe I’ll be great and they’ll let me increase my hours at some point. I emailed back immediately to accept the position and now I’m holding my breath (figuratively because that would be stupid) to find out more about when I can start. Of course, in the meantime, while there’s radio silence I am torturing myself with thoughts that maybe they emailed me in error. Maybe they’re trying to work out how to tell me they’ve changed their minds. But that aside, I’m SO excited!
So there is this week’s good news! I just wanted to wait until I heard back about the job before I posted, so I hope you’ll forgive me.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I should start a ‘Going Back to Rome’ fund for my wages…
Life's A Beach 