28th of November 2002

Discussion in 'Steve Scargill's Dear Diary' started by imported_Gally, Sep 26, 2006.

  1. imp

    imported_Gally New Member

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    28.11.2002
    Today has been a bit overwhelming on the Dear Diary front. I have been contacted by several people saying that they enjoy reading it, whilst not always agreeing with it, to which I say - Brilliant!! I just have an opinion, I don't mind if this opinion is not universally accepted, and I am quite prepared to listen to any counter-argument. I sometimes think that good points on the BB are lost because they are made with too much zeal - just too much 'I am right and stuff the rest'. In real life most issues are neither black nor white. There is a great deal of grey in the middle. When completely polarised opinions are expressed that leave little room for debate, then the discussion stops right there. If someone dares to disagree, derision and contempt are often heaped in equal measure, which I am absolutely sure means that some who would like to join in just don't.

    My dad was a miner for 46 years, and was, in my humble opinion, one of the wisest men ever to draw breath. Unlike me he was succinct and to the point, and his little homilies live on long after his death 20 years ago. They are used almost daily in my house. His wisdom was delivered by use of such phrases as 'You're not hurting while your sleeping', 'You can always get out of trouble by paying', 'Don't close one door without opening another' and one that I feel is very relevant at the minute, 'Don't paint yourself into a corner'. The extreme views expressed by some are examples of just such behaviour. So, as last night, more have come out today and said words to the effect that whilever JD is around they won't have anything to do with the club. So they are right in that corner then. So, what if the club rises like the proverbial Pheonix ? Wins 12 on the trot. Does a 'buy-one-get-one-for-free' offer on season tickets. Appoints Mick McCarthy as manager, who then signs Roy Keane and appoints him club captain and special envoy to the UN ? The reality is that, like it or not, and I'm not saying I do, JD is part of the deal. And away from this BB there are many who won't mind that. When American President Lyndon Johnson appointed some geezer to his Government in 1964 - I think it might have been McCarthy? - who was pretty much despised by all and sundry, he was asked why? His infamous reply was 'I'd rather have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in'.

    PD might just feel that at this stage he would rather have JD on his side than able to cause him problems - perhaps even fearful that if he is not part of HIS team he might join forces with others who could undermine Doyle's bid. I don't know, but what's done is done. Or at least on the face of it. Those against the deal will have felt a little flutter of hope no doubt when the Star printed an article that suggested that the ink is far from dry on the Doyle bid, with Barnsley 2003 about to contest the validity of the deal. "Watch this space" seems to be the order of the day, but realistically there does seem little or no prospect of any other succesful deal being concluded other than the Doyle bid already on the table, and heading for the Football League HQ as we speak.

    Healthwise I have had an appointment with my GP today. Dr B is simply the best GP working in the NHS - OK so I haven't met more than about ten in my lifetime - some things you just know. Since my original diagnosis I have been able to talk to him as I would talk to my mates. So discussions about cancer are littered with effin this and bleedin that. When I am down, or just need a chat to discuss the options, he makes himself available, and there are no limits on the amount of time that I am allowed to get things off my chest, or to get something clear in my mind. Knowing that I like the occasional gallon of beer, he always prescribes tablets that allow that, invariably saying, while he's typing the prescription, "...and this doesn't conflict with anything brown and frothy served in pint pots".

    Today was our first meeting since my consultation at Jimmy's in Leeds, when they told me that I was already three months ahead of the average survival period for Sarcoma spread patients. So you might imagine, the chat was lengthy and at times emotional. Nonetheless I came out feeling better, and I am firmly of the opinion that he thinks the bloke in Leeds is a tw@t as well. I had been late going in, my appointment being at 4.10, but I didn't get in to see him until 4.35 and it was 5.20 when I came out.

    I had been a couple of minutes late arriving and when I got there a client of mine, George W, (not Bush !!) was sitting in the waiting room. George is one of those who never seems to let much phase him, and, although only in his early 50's like me, he passes his days doing a bit of gardening and various odd jobs. So long as he has enough for a pint and can pay his mortgage he's perfectly happy. We chatted for a few minutes and it turned out he was waiting to see Dr B as well. His appointment was 10 minutes after mine at 4.20, but unlike me he had arrived in plenty of time, and was waiting patiently for his turn to go in. His face was a picture of serenity as we talked about not very much. Now I'm of the opinion that although I can take as much time as I like, it's encumbent on others to make sure that they don't waste Dr B's time by making him run late. Had I not had George to while away the time with I would probably, by now, have had the receptionist by the throat demanding that she ring through to Dr B and tell him to get a flippin move on. As it was I, quite rudely, kept on looking at my watch and getting ever more areated, until finally I was called through. 45 minutes later as I left George was still sitting there, the picture of calm. For a second I envied him, I wanted to be him, with his optimism and his untroubled life. It occured to me that I had kept him waiting for almost an hour over his appointed time. I was going to apologise when I realised that I did not know why he was there, so I asked him now.

    'Oh just a check up, I had a heart attack six weeks ago'.
     

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