Perspective

[Cambridgeskip]

Something I'm planning on sharing with my scouts tomorrow night.

 

Today I've been caught up in some horrendous travel disruption. A fire outside London's Euston station has damaged signalling equipment and basically nothing is moving in or out of Euston tonight. To put that in some context trains from Euston go to Birmingham, Liverpool,Manchester, Preston and Glasgow. We're talking disruption to 100s of thousands of people, some of who are not going to et to their destinations today. I'm in the process of picking my way round a convultued route. I should make it home albeit I reckon on being about 5 hours late home.

 

It's a frustrating day and one I would normally have a rant about, something along the lines of "that's 5 hours of my life I'll never get back.

 

It's all about context though. Those 5 hours are part of what I hope will be another 50-60 years in this life (I'm a 30 something)

 

On my train was a man on his way to London for experimental cancer treatment. I over heard his story as he was being interviewed for a television documentary. As things stand he only has 2 months left to live. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour after he collapsed just a few days after getting married a couple of years ago, before he'd even departed for his honeymoon. If this treatment he's heading for doesn't work his life expectancy can be measured at around 1500 hours. This afternoon he spent 3 of them on a stationary train just outside London. Last I saw of him staff of Virgin West Coast Trains (who I cannot praise highly enough for their efforts to help this man) at Watford Junction Station were trying to find him a taxi to get him into central London.

 

Despite all my delays, feeling hungry, feeling in need of a shower, I really can't complain.

 

One of our scout laws is also that a scout makes good use of his time and is careful of his possessions and property.

 

Kind of makes you think doesn't it?

[David CO]

It certainly does.  If I thought that existence ends with death, I might feel that I have lost a great many hours over the course of a lifetime.  Too many.

 

As it is, I expect to get those hours back, with many many more. 

[qwazse]

Some of us have been following this fellow, God bless him.

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/04/19/before-cancer-took-him-scout-wrote-a-powerful-poem-reminding-us-to-live-every-day-to-its-fullest/

School Days: A Poem

by Evan Macrone

 

Throughout life I have learned

That you can’t stay clean on a camping trip

Even if you shower every day

That you can’t enjoy delectable doughnuts from Dough

Or pizza hot out of the oven

That you can’t avoid bites by bugs

From pesky gnats, ticks, and no-see-ums

And you can’t get a thick sanctuary from the weather

Just a stuffy, flimsy tent.

 

But you also can’t hike mountain trails

Go canoeing, kayaking, small-boat sailing,

Tubing, skiing, sightseeing, fishing,

Pioneering, swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving

Cook meals for friends

Sleep under a night sky full of stars

If you are cooped up at home, hunched over,

Playing a video game

Or at school,

Taking an arbitrary test that will uniquely decide your future

Of being cooped up in an office till you croak.

 

So go and get out there

And maybe live a little

Cause God knows,

You could get cancer any day

Or get caught in a car accident

And how many days before that

Will you regret?

Edited April 20, 2017 by qwazse