CHAPTER 101 :
Hello everybody,
How are you today ? I hope fighting fit and perky !
Of course, I know that being full of beans and cheerful is not always a walk in the park, especially when dull grey winter days chill you to the bones and dampen your spirits.
Yes, waking up when it's still dark, going out, commuting, shopping, well, actually all our humdrum routine often turns into a real pain, then.
Don't count on me to give you sure-fire tips and tricks to get through the cold and dreary days to come, but keep living funny adventures with me, and before you can say Jack Robinson, the early mild days of Spring will be on their way !
In the meantime, wrap up warm, because big freeze is forecast.
Temperatures should plummet,so before plunging into the 'freezer', play the thick layer game.
Don't get caught off guard : long-sleeved tee, a warm wooly, thick tights or leggings, corduroy trousers, gloves, a knit headband, and of course a comfy coat, and you'll be ready to brave the elements !*
Hang on a sec ! I guess that by now you must be thinking that Perky has had no light bulb moment since last week, and that she is just padding her new story with small talks ! Right ?
Come on, let me continue, all things come to him who waits !
Chapter 101 is a winter story, and, as you know, sneaky winter chill triggers all sorts of discomfort : runny nose, scratchy throat, sneezes, coughing spells, and sometimes, to crown it all, the flu !
Have you noticed how every year the media thrive on the first outbreak of that 'disease' wherever it strikes ?
Yes, in winter, flu hits the headlines and fight-flu campaigns are launched to raise public awareness.
So, forget about begging a GP to squeeze you in for a common cold.
Anyway, quite sure that it usually gets better within a week, so no need to make fuss about it !
All the better, cause I must confess that I don't trust doctors that much.
I have never been really at ease with them. Perhaps my inner rebellious streak...
You know, all those orders you have to obey as soon as you step into a surgery :
" Take off your clothes, lie down on the couch, say aahh, breathe in
breathe out, ...", and all that jazz !!
That has always made me nervous. Even so edgy sometimes that I remember once telling a gruff doctor that he was looking under the weather, and that I wouldn't mind giving him a few grandmas home remedies to shake off his gloom and get perky again.
No need to tell you that he didn't appreciate my kidding !
Now you know how reluctant I am to visit a doctor.
But for the little ones, I do agree that things are quite different. Parents can't help worrying, and, when my children were young, I was far from being an exception !
One winter, my son (he was, like, 4 years old) came down with a bad cold. A couple of days and countless medical drops and spoonfuls of cough mixture later, things were not getting better. So, I called the paediatrician. Unfortunately he turned out to be on holidays, or at least on an extra weekend (it was Friday).
In those days I was already crossed with many GPs around, so I called for the doctor on duty, who said he had lots of appointments, but he would manage to come in the late afternoon.
By the time he knocked at the door, I had had enough time to prepare myself for his visit : I would be patient (quite normal, he was a doctor), I would listen to his diagnosis instead of questioning it. I would be as good as gold !
Hardly had I let him in when I realized that my son was no longer holding my hand. I turned back, looked around, ...jeez, he had vanished .
I called him, and we could hear a muffled ' yes' coming through the bathroom door.
He was locked in, and didn't want to go out !
The doctor told me that he was used to children being scared stiff of him, and that he would talk to him gently through the door and make him go out.
" Come on, take it easy, I won't hurt you, I'm just here to check
everything will be ok within a few days. What do you think of that
buddy ? ".
A few minutes of silence, I would have liked them to be longer, cause what I heard, put the shame on me ...
" No ", my son cried, " I won't get out ! I know you won't cure me,
cause once my mum said that most doctors are quacks ! ".
I turned as red as a beetroot, and could not even splutter any apologies .
The doctor smiled, and replied gently to my son :
" I know, but, you see, I've failed my exam, so I am not a quack, but
just a healing magician ! ".
He had hit the head of the nail ! That was the magic formula ! The door opened and at last my son got out !
All was well that ended well !
That winter taught me two lessons .
Lesson number one : some doctors are thankworthy !
Lesson number two : hold my tongue when children around !
That's all, folks !
Hope you will enjoy this new adventure and share it with all the fun lovers you know ( and I hope you know quite a few ) !
By the way, don't forget , whatever the weather is : be perky !
* For those who are basking in the sun, jot down all this advice, cause sooner or later the weather will change ...
