What matters to you personally?

Is it money, true love, material possessions, the respect of others, climbing up the treacherous ladder of success?

Whatever it is, I wish you well and hope that you achieve a modicum of happiness.

For me, I’m becoming less driven by a single idea or ideal and I’ve begun to let go and just enjoy the days and hours.

It’s been a strange week in a number of ways but I’m lying on a sofa in the sun, music in the background and a beer to sip while I type.

The views from this sofa are spectacular and it’s probably my favourite spot in the house, it helps that it’s in the kitchen.

So what’s been strange about the week?

Well.

I’ve stopped taking new meetings and took part in an all day briefing meeting for my team and the team that they’ll be working closely with as from April.

It ended at 3am for me, in a club in Soho.

More on that in a while.

I finished my book and it’s ready for pre-order on Kindle and Amazon paperback – I have no idea if it’s any good, but fuck it.

I’ve ordered some author copies so that I can give them to my team on my last day in the office – and we’ll see what happens.

I had a call with my pension advisor and we’re looking at a plan for the next couple of years – I may continue work or not.

Depends how much I like being on my own clock.

I had a meeting with Shropshire council to try to sort some road issues out for some parishioners and I’ve helped a chap with his planning application for a single house on 11 acres of land.

I also found out that not only has one of my team been bullied by senior management in a country far,far away, but they’ve tried to close ranks and stitch him up because he logged a grievance.

We have a call to discuss the situation next week with HR and management, I’m going to fucking eviscerate them.

I’ve heard from the guy trying to arrange the Wembley concert and he has a meeting with Wembley on Tuesday- he also has a retired Paratroop General on the committee now.

And…..

After the team meeting on Thursday, we went for dinner (for 12 people) and we were joined by somebody I’ve mentioned before – The Smurf.

Our history is complicated to say the least but she’s one of my best friends, she’s 19 years younger, has a husband, two kids, a lovely dog, a job and a good life.

The plan was for her to be my guardian angel for my leaving do on the 26th as I think it’s got the possibility to be epic.

But.

She needs an emergency operation at the end of the week or she might die.

Not hyperbole or exaggeration.

And the op is massive and life changing.

So, the end of Thursday night was mostly listening to her while we tried to dance and look normal in a series of bars and clubs.

I put her in a cab at 3 and went back to my club, luckily I’d been up for 23 hours so I managed a couple of hours sleep before leaving at 6 to come home.

I’ll catch up properly with her tomorrow to get the latest and to tell her that although I probably don’t believe in a deity, I’ll ask every day for her to still be here for the foreseeable future.

I’ll also tell her that these lyrics from a song by Sixx AM inspired me to write about her today

‘Do you wanna see heaven tonight?
Underneath those lights you will look so beautiful
Do you wanna see the stars before they fall?
See the stars before they fall’

Life’s short.

Enjoy yours, hug your friends and lovers – call somebody that you’ve lost touch with.

Think about what really matters.