409

In this blogposting…

* Serge
* A Word to the Wise
* The Two Wolves
Go ahead - make my day…

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SERGE:  A BULLETIN
First up, a VERY BIG Thankyou to everyone who’s been asking after Serge’s welfare, both here on the blog and via text and email.  We both appreciate it a lot and I’m sure your concern has contributed mightily to the slow but steady improvement in his condition.

For the first couple of days I think he was probably still in a state of shock after his accident.  From what he’s told me, I think he was not only badly winded when he fell but was also knocked out for a few minutes by the impact.  The extent of his other injuries only became apparent later, when he was taken to hospital in Lyon.

The whiplash compression around his neck muscles seems to be easing now; he only needs to wear his neck-brace occasionally for support.

His right wrist and lower arm are now encased in a flashy, and very fetching, velcro-fastening strap.  Bad luck dictated that it was his right arm that he fell on; Serge is right-handed, so the pain and discomfort there are hampering him quite a lot.

The injury to his coccyx, though, is causing him the most trouble and will probably take the longest to heal.  It’s very tricky for him to find a comfortable position to sit or lie in and driving - already difficult from the injury to his wrist - is particularly painful.

Mindful of all this, I’ve decided to buy a nurse’s uniform and return to Beaujolais next week.  I am a hopelessly selfish and inadequate carer and this, coupled with the nurse’s uniform, should have Serge on his feet again and heading for the hills in no time.

Serge’s nickname amongst his family and friends is Pépère; it’s an old-fashioned, ‘street-French’ word that comes close to meaning something like ‘sanguine’ or ‘unflappable’ and it suits him down to the ground.  As long as anyone can remember, he has confronted misfortunes with a smiling - and by no means resigned - c’est la vie and that’s what he’s doing now; he’s getting on with things.

My re-arrival on Wednesday should concentrate his mind wonderfully, if not give him something else to confront. 

Be sure that I’ll give him all your best wishes as soon as I step off the train at St Georges de Reneins.  And thanks again for thinking about him; just knowing that you are has done him the power of good.

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A WORD TO THE WISE
In blogpostings 219 and 221 you can read some ‘Words to the Wise’ that were sent to me by Kev and Dave.  It’s time now to catch up with some more that I’ve just discovered lurking in my email inbox…

* Money can’t buy happiness but somehow it’s much more comfortable crying in a Porsche than on a bicycle.  (There are quite a few versions of this one; Spike Milligan once said that ‘money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery’.)
* Forgive your enemy - but remember the bugger’s name.
* Help a man when he is in trouble and he will remember you when he is in trouble again.
* Alcohol doesn’t solve any problems.  But neither does milk.
* After thirty, your body has a mind of its own.
* Revenge is often like biting a dog because the dog bit you.
And, with the upcoming season in mind, here’s one from Victor Borge…
* Santa Claus has the right idea - visit people only once a year.

Any other Words to the Wise gratefully received.  Get in touch…

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THE TWO WOLVES
I found this amongst the emails I’d preserved from the days of the Blue Bus.  I can’t remember if I quoted it on-air at the time but, even if I did, I think it’s worth a second airing.

It’s an example of incisive Native American wisdom…

An old Cherokee was talking to his grandson.
‘My son, inside each and every one of us there’s a battle going on between two wolves.
One of them is Evil.  It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies and ego.
The other is Good.  It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility. kindness and truth.’
The boy thought about this for a moment and then asked ‘Grandfather - which wolf wins?’
The old man quietly replied ‘The one you feed.’

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AND FINALLY...
...thanks to everyone who's pointed out that the Your Car Is German email I received from Peter and quoted in posting 407 had also been sent to me by Dave - and used in posting 394.

I'm getting old...

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CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or email me:  truckshunters@googlemail.com