Wednesday, 1 June 2011

Fishing For Sticklebacks

Just to let you know, posting may be light for a while [I don’t say ‘will’ as I’ve said it before and then done a post a day for a month]

Life is a bit in the shitter at the moment, as you know I lost my job last Friday, I’ve had one interview, but not a sniff of anything else at the moment. Then yesterday my Nan (of the fractured hip) called to say she couldn’t move and was in a deal of pain. So once again an ambulance was summoned, unfortunately unlike last time, it was followed by an 11 hour wait in A&E for her to be admitted for tests and an orthopaedic consult.

So job hunting is going to be split between hospital visits and dealing with social care for when she gets out, which I don’t really need at the moment.

I know some people have it a lot worse and I shouldn’t be moaning.

But there are times when all you want to be is to be 4 years old again, on a spring day, in a river, in your wellies, net in hand, fishing for sticklebacks.

 

click image for larger

fishing

Catching sticklebacks
In a river, net in hand -
Four years old again.

                                          Macheath

10 comments:

  1. "there are times when all you want to be is to be 4 years old again"

    Yep. Even without family illnesses and unemployment I often wish I could just have no responsibility and a loving parent or two to make sure I get fed and washed.

    I have metaphorically thrown a coin and clapped my hands for you and your nan.

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  2. Much sympathy. Some things just have to be endured: as (I believe) the Japanese say, 'Shikata ga nai'.

    Post if you can, even if it's only to let off steam. Your readers will want to know how you are; I'm sure I'm not alone in wishing you - and your Nan - all the best.

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  3. On a lighter note, what a great Haiku it makes:

    Catching sticklebacks
    In a river, net in hand -
    Four years old again.

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  4. fantastic, I've put it in the main post

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  5. I hope she's been assessed and is comfortable now. And something will turn up for you, I'm sure.

    After all, even when you're in work, sometimes those pools with sticklebacks are awfully tempting...

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  6. do THAT THING, Mr Cat. Just feel the sun on your face, the coolness of the water on the outside of your gumboots, the thrill of the little nibble on the line. Now's the time.

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  7. As one recently returned to gainfully employment, you know I sympathise with you. I know full well the problems people of our age have getting into work again.

    I was talking to my stepson last night: he's in the building trade and has been having a tough time of it lately, although the difference is that the jobcentre seem exceedingly keen and fall over themselves to offer advice guidance and a flurry of interviews (probably not with a job at the end of them though) in careers far removed from his building expertise.

    The difference? He's in the targeted 18-25 age group, that group the government help, to the detriment of other ages.

    But quotas and targets matter, so he's dutifully having to attend interviews for jobs he knows he won't get, doesn't like, has no experience for, otherwise he loses benefits. Just so a box can be ticked and the monthly stats for the targeted age group meet state requirements.

    Its all a huge waste of resources, but then the state would rather spend a million on blanket coverage rather than 10,000 on precise individual responses.

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