From the Ashes

The news from Manchester this morning is yet another reminder of the acts of sheer cruelty that are carried out in this world and, as is so often the case, against those who can't protect themselves.
However, out of the darkness of such cruelty invariably comes a beacon of honest to goodness, human decency.

I've often heard the word hero loosely bandied about when referring to, let's use an example here......sports people.
Does trying to put a small ball into a hole for ridiculous amounts of money, or kicking a ball around a patch of grass for ninety minutes, again for absolutely crazy money, make someone a hero.......what nonsense, of course it doesn't.

To me a hero is someone who does or achieves something for a greater good, to help others and simply make our world a better place.....quite often putting their lives on the line in the process.

There have been countless tales of unbelievable acts of heroism down the years, and the stories of sheer bravery, kindness and of people uniting as one for a common goal, coming from the ashes of the tragedy at the Manchester and Cheshire Dogs' Home overnight, bear testimony to the goodness and courage that exists within the human spirit.  

'Bravery doesn't mean you aren't scared, it means you go anyway.........' 

The Passenger

There we were the other week, 'The Raleigh' and I, toodling through the Co. Down countryside when suddenly I was aware we had an intruder in our midst.
Yes a foreign body, in this case a wasp, had lodged itself in one of the vents in my cycling helmet.

This does happen on occasions with all manner of flying objects, especially during the summer months, but usually a tilt and slight shake of the head is enough to dislodge any non-paying passengers.
However, this wee git was along for the ride, or so I thought.......

300 yards or so up the road from the point where it hopped on, it decided to hop off again and with an almighty buzz it wriggled itself free and decided, as a way of thanking me for saving it the bother of flying 300 yards, that it would sting me on the forehead.
Now, as anyone who has ever had the misfortune to be stung by one of these stripey blighters will testify..... it is an altogether rather painful experience!!

My poor noggin was aching and before long I was doing my best impression of a baby unicorn but, in true John Wayne fashion, I rode on and upon my arrival at home I reached for the trusty Tea Tree Oil and soon all was well with the world again.


Roll on the colder weather............