Small Things

When you are having an "annus horribilis", as the Queen would say, it's the small things that tell you how bad it is.

Even if you are just having a, "2017 is a shit year," as my friends would say there are still loads of small things that go wrong.  You would imagine that these small things could break you but you are wrong.  In a good year, they can do that.  Log onto Facebook and you will see loads of people moaning about stuff. Fridges have broken, washing machines have leaked, the dog has been sick on the carpet, the GP receptionist was rude when someone tried to get an appointment for a cold. Friends console with the well known fact that these things only come in threes.  Enemies point out that as these things come in threes they have two more to come. Those people think that one more thing will cause a mental breakdown.

It is true that this year is proving to be a bit of a bad one for me and I'm certain that things don't just come in threes.  Big things or small things.  Yesterday, these small things went wrong.

1. I lost my voice (again)
2.The heating broke on the first cold day.
3. The steering lock on my car got stuck and I had to walk back from the supermarket (without a coat)
4. When I tried to ring the Long Suffering Husband to tell him what had happened he thought I was crying (stupid voice) and he rushed home from work.
5. The gas man said that we need a new boiler.
6. The dog stole my KitKat and ate it wrapper and all
7. I banged my head on a tree.
8.  The dog, on a sugar high, got stuck on the garden table and then threw himself at me, when I came to see what was wrong, hurting his gammy shoulder.
9.  A pupil's flute fell apart.
10. My voice completely disappeared and I didn't even sound like I was crying.

None of these bothered me.  That's how you know things are bad. The little things don't break you. Weirdly, they put a spring in your step and make you feel normal.

You also notice the small nice things.  You notice the friends that check on you. You notice the people that appreciate the effort you go to.  You notice the sun and the birds and the things that are working well.