Autumn Nights

I’m walking along the pavement, my trainers crunching slightly against the concrete. It’s dusted with the barest hint of a sparkle; the tell-tale sign that a morning frost is inevitable. My breath is visible, curling plumes of steam against the cold, dark air, and it’s night-time. The air has that unmistakable smoky scent. My rucksack is heavy on my back and my heart is heavy in my chest, for I know the night would be perfect, if there wasn’t one vital thing missing.

The artificial turf pitch is lit up by floodlights, and choruses of joyful shouts rise from the men playing football as one scores a particularly impressive goal, and they share a victorious huddle. As I pass through the path that leads to the halls, a couple walk past, engrossed in each other, hand in hand, and it reminds me of what – rather, who – I am missing right now.

Even now, whilst I’m sitting in my flat on what should be a perfect evening – a bottle of cider by my side, my guitar close at hand and a good 6,000 words written today, as well as some university work completed – there is still something seriously missing.

I’m not great at describing things. I’m even worse at telling you what love is, or trying to explain what it feels like to be in love, but I think I can pretty accurately describe how it feels to miss the person you love. It’s like a part of you isn’t there – the people around you are urging you to go out and have a good time, but you’re not in the mood. You’d prefer your own company, but more than anything, you long for the company of that one person.

That’s pretty much how I feel right now, and I know that one person is reading my blog – so I just want you to know that I love you, I always will, and I can’t wait until my Autumn nights truly are complete because I’ll be spending them with you.

Inspirational People

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2162578/You-win-Schoolboy-terminal-brain-tumour-amazes-friends-family-brave-attitude-illness.html

A schoolboy dying from a brain tumour has stunned his family with his bravery after responding to his terminal condition by saying: ‘You can’t win them all.’

Sometimes it’s nice to see an inspirational young person in the news, combating the stereotype that we’re all horrible yobs who spend our time smoking and frightening old women and don’t give a damn about the future. However, sometimes it’s awful, and you find yourself wishing that the young person you’re reading about had no reason to be in the newspaper. This is one of those times.

This young man is sixteen years old and he’s had a brain tumour for the past five years. They thought he was recovering, but he relapsed recently and it is terminal – he has a matter of weeks to live, but he’s bravely responded by refusing treatment and saying “You can’t win them all”. It’s an unimaginable situation to be in at any age, but at sixteen? It’s a reflection on his incredibly mature attitude, because I have no idea what I’d do in that situation, but I doubt I’d be as accepting of it.

His aim now is to make it to his school prom on the 28th of June, but they are unsure as to how many weeks he may have left to live. I really hope every effort is made – even if they have to bring the prom forwards! – to allow him to go to his prom, and I also urge all of you to look at HeadSmart, a movement started by the Samantha Dickinson Brain Tumour Trust, to encourage faster diagnosis of brain tumours – http://www.headsmart.org.uk/home/