The season of the charity collectors is upon us and everywhere I seem to go, the jingle of charity collection tins is ringing in the air. This annoys the hell out of me!!! I really don't know exactly why it irks me so much, but it does!
I don't mind the calls of "Big Issue, Sir?" as I walk down the street. I usually buy a copy and then tell the rest "no thanks, mate" in a polite way which seems to go down ok with the folks selling the magazine. But, tin shakers .... the glare and scowl from them as you walk past, jeez ... if looks could kill there would be a messy bloodbath outside M&S. Nuns! Nuns with collecting tins ... watch out ... not just a glare when you don't put your money in the tin, but I am sure they are having a word with the good Lord upstairs and placing a curse on you as well.
Now, I am not a scrooge and I do support a few charities. I actively support NCH Scotland, a fabulous charity raising money for kids. I support them so much that I was prepared to jump out of a perfectly good aeroplane (well, that is debatable) 2 miles up into the sky and skydive to raise money for them a couple of years ago and actively fundraise still.
What a day to remember that was! Up very early to drive to the airfield, do the safety stuff, get kitted out and wait for the weather to clear to get jumping. 2 jumpers were called and I was one of them. We went off to the hangar to have our final checks and then into the plane. Jeezo! The plane with no door and no seats!!!!!
It took 20 minutes to get to the right altitude to jump and everything was looking beautiful until the instructor of my fellow jumper told her to get into the doorway and prepare to jump. I watched as Gillian fell into the clouds below and knew it was my turn next.
I got into the doorway and waited for my instructor to push out of the door. We were off! OH MY GOD - the rush of adrenalin was amazing! We were falling to the ground, through the clouds at over 175mph. The noise was deafening. After falling for 10 000 feet it was time to pull the ripcord and hope to hell that the canopy would open! The fact that I am typing this lets you know that it did open :o)
The noise disappeared and everything was silent. I was able to look at the patchwork of fields below being crossed by roads and I was able to see the Ochil Hills that I see from my flat everyday, from above!
It took about 15 minutes to parachute the second 10 000ft and sadly it was all over. I was desperate to get right back on the plane and get up there to do it all again.
SO ... when I have people rattling charity collection tins in my face and asking for money I get very tempted to ask them if they would do what I have done to raise money and not judge me just because I didn't put a few coins in their tin. I did raise a huge amount for charity with the huge help of my friends and family .. although I do sometimes wonder if some gave so generously on the off-chance that I may have been splattered across the rural Perthshire countryside :o) LOL
Haven't been around for a bit and haven't been visiting as often as I should have ... apologies! Things ain't quite all rosey here at the moment but I'll be back as often as I can :o) Dad going into hospital for major surgery (again) tomorrow so I may be away for a bit xxx
