As I began to type this short post this morning, to originally share with friends on Facebook, I wasn’t quite sure of the direction it was going to take or what it may say to those who would read it.

The reason for writing and now sharing it here is because it was stimulated out of an experience, yesterday [and that yesterday was in 2024], visiting Kings College Hospital, for an MRI scan.

I am pleased to say that like all experiences, it has come and gone; it is now in the past, and as I continued to write it I could feel that space, and a force deep within, guiding me in writing it.

You see, I had had this thought :

“It is what experiences can trigger (in a person) and how a person responds (not reacts), that, for me, is the difference between a person experiencing illness vs wellness.”

Then this hit me: “I know now why, when I looked on Twitter/X earlier, this was the very first post staring me in the face”:

‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.’
Viktor E. Frankl

The stimulus, for me: an MRI scan result that means another scan in Sept, before the surgeon books a date in his diary around Oct/Nov for my brain to be operated on.

My response:

I think it can be summed up in what I replied with to this message: “That’s poo!!”

“Yes, a bit of a shitty discussion to have. But the bowels are clear now 🤣🤣”

And then this (after I had explained “The mind is a bit pissed off 😠but that will pass 😉🤣”) from a very wise and dear friend:

“….I think you’re certainly allowed to feel a bit pissed off…
Completely understandable but don’t kick the cat… Play some jazz and make some bread pummeling the dough may help! And even if it doesn’t the bread will be good..”

And guess what, I am heading down to Eastbourne with my Sevenoaks and Tonbridge Concert Band friends to play a bit of jazz (along with 1812 Overture!) on the bandstand on Wed evening in Eastbourne. 😀😀

I wish to finish this post by connecting my friend’s wise words with my previous post about that dream:

The message I received ended with (and bear in mind that this person knows nothing about what I wrote about in that previous post):

“Nobody knows what’s around the corner… And it could be better than expected. X”.