So yeah, today was my 18th birthday. And I'm pleased to say it was a good one. There were parts that didn't go so well but they actually helped in the end. Here's a run-down of what happened.
And of course, to start the day, one must wake up. Which I did, flawlessly, at 6:40. I decided to check YC as I do most mornings, and of course then I saw the aftermath of a certain incident which won't be mentioned here. That got me down a bit, I admit, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't big. Now awake, I went downstairs and there was quite a few presents for me - I'll save the details but they included some clothes, and a PS4, amongst other things.
Now it was time to get ready for the main activity of the day - we were to head to Scotland, to see some of, the end included, of a rally event. For those not in the know, rallying's a form of autosport (which I love by the way, hence why we went) which, in its professional format, includes driving off-road as quick as you can. Here's a video (not mine), to illustrate:
So yeah, pretty excited for the rally. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at our first stop - the service area, where they work on the cars in between stages of the rally. We went in and saw a few of the cars, including the eventual 2nd-placed car. It was interesting to see how they were worked on. After a short while there, we got something to eat and headed out for the next part of the day - going to see the cars in a special stage. This is the bit in the video above (you know, drive-on-dirt-fast-as-you-can). However, it's at this point things started to go sour.
We had difficulty locating the stage, for one. After several wrong turns and missed signs, we arrived at a rally stage. Unfortunately it was the wrong one, and it had no spectator access. Thus, we were forced to turn around and continue looking. We rejoined the main road, and kept looking - but try as we might, we couldn't find it. By this point I was getting rather frustrated as we'd driven for a while and not found anything, and we thought we were going to be late to seeing the cars take the stage on. Eventually, it got so late that I just couldn't take it anymore and asked to go home. And this is actually where things improved.
You see, my getting upset didn't sit well with my mother, who then proceeded to get annoyed too. Not long after we pulled in to have the food we bought earlier. And it was then, in the back of our van we'd been travelling in, eating my sandwich and looking at the cars (including rally cars, which surprisingly are all road-legal) going by, that it hit me.
I didn't have to ask for any of this. It was all gifted to me.
You see, for the last 18 years my birthdays have been planned way in advance. I've said what I want to happen, and we've gone out and done it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do this year though. It was actually a surprise finding out 2 days before my birthday we'd be going here; and it was a very nice surprise too. And speaking of surprises: remember how I said I got a PS4? Didn't ask for that either. It was bought for me as a surprise. And again, a very nice one. So yeah, there's me, sitting in the van, having just realised that this whole thing was done out of kindness, for me. I mean, my parents didn't have to bother taking me all the way to Scotland to see a rally. They could have easily not bothered. And they could easily have not bothered getting me a PS4 either. Or saving up £1000 to give to me on my 18th birthday (which they did too).
And it makes me think. All this time, I'm upset over how things hadn't gone how I wanted them to, yet I was lucky to even be here, in Scotland, doing something most people might never get the chance to do. I should be happy I'm where I am.
And suddenly I become happier. The tears of disappointment and frustration changed into tears of happiness, thankfulness and joy. And I think, you know what, let's keep going, let's go and see the end of this thing, see the cars finish. We were going to anyway but now I was happy I was going to get the chance. So off we went, to the town of Jedburgh (which we've been to before). On arriving there we discovered something humorous; that we'd miscalculated our timings and were an hour ahead of what the actual times were! Hence, we arrived in Jedburgh an hour early. We killed some time by going to a nearby coffee shop (my mother didn't go in, nor did she go to see the end) and me and my father went to see the end. After a lengthy half-hour wait, the cars began to file in at about 4:40 and it was nice to see, after the trials and tribulations of the day. We watched a few cars, and at about 5pm we decided it was time to go home. The drive home was long too, and we arrived home at about 7pm. And here I am now, home again.
My mother still doesn't want to talk to me, unsurprisingly. Perhaps I deserve it. But then again, I was lucky to get the chance to see what I saw. I did have a good day in the end. And it's all thanks to the lessons I learnt. I've never had a birthday where I learn anything before. I guess my 18th has been the most important for me, not because of what 18 means as an age, but rather as I now understand all the life lessons I've been taught over the years. I see what I've taken for granted; and that I could just as easily not have any of it. I was lucky to get what I did, and I should be happy I did get it. And I am. Very much so.
Perhaps I can reconcile with my mother tonight; maybe tomorrow. I plan to thank her for going to the bother of organising it all, and perhaps explain to her just how much I appreciate it, how much I appreciate her putting herself out for a son that demands the world from a family that can't give it; and never gives anything back in return - and how much I've learned from this one day that I thought wasn't going well, but in reality was actually one of the best days of my life. Not because it went well; because it didn't. But because it taught me the lesson that I hope that I'll remember, for my own sake.
That lesson: Learn to appreciate every little thing you get to do, as there's so many people out there who won't the chances you do.
And with that, I'm done. Hope I didn't get too philosophical on you all. I just feel different to how I did when I woke up. I almost feel like a new person, writing this blog post. Hopefully I'm a better one.
And of course, to start the day, one must wake up. Which I did, flawlessly, at 6:40. I decided to check YC as I do most mornings, and of course then I saw the aftermath of a certain incident which won't be mentioned here. That got me down a bit, I admit, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't big. Now awake, I went downstairs and there was quite a few presents for me - I'll save the details but they included some clothes, and a PS4, amongst other things.
Now it was time to get ready for the main activity of the day - we were to head to Scotland, to see some of, the end included, of a rally event. For those not in the know, rallying's a form of autosport (which I love by the way, hence why we went) which, in its professional format, includes driving off-road as quick as you can. Here's a video (not mine), to illustrate:
Spoiler
So yeah, pretty excited for the rally. After a 2 hour drive we arrived at our first stop - the service area, where they work on the cars in between stages of the rally. We went in and saw a few of the cars, including the eventual 2nd-placed car. It was interesting to see how they were worked on. After a short while there, we got something to eat and headed out for the next part of the day - going to see the cars in a special stage. This is the bit in the video above (you know, drive-on-dirt-fast-as-you-can). However, it's at this point things started to go sour.
We had difficulty locating the stage, for one. After several wrong turns and missed signs, we arrived at a rally stage. Unfortunately it was the wrong one, and it had no spectator access. Thus, we were forced to turn around and continue looking. We rejoined the main road, and kept looking - but try as we might, we couldn't find it. By this point I was getting rather frustrated as we'd driven for a while and not found anything, and we thought we were going to be late to seeing the cars take the stage on. Eventually, it got so late that I just couldn't take it anymore and asked to go home. And this is actually where things improved.
You see, my getting upset didn't sit well with my mother, who then proceeded to get annoyed too. Not long after we pulled in to have the food we bought earlier. And it was then, in the back of our van we'd been travelling in, eating my sandwich and looking at the cars (including rally cars, which surprisingly are all road-legal) going by, that it hit me.
I didn't have to ask for any of this. It was all gifted to me.
You see, for the last 18 years my birthdays have been planned way in advance. I've said what I want to happen, and we've gone out and done it. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do this year though. It was actually a surprise finding out 2 days before my birthday we'd be going here; and it was a very nice surprise too. And speaking of surprises: remember how I said I got a PS4? Didn't ask for that either. It was bought for me as a surprise. And again, a very nice one. So yeah, there's me, sitting in the van, having just realised that this whole thing was done out of kindness, for me. I mean, my parents didn't have to bother taking me all the way to Scotland to see a rally. They could have easily not bothered. And they could easily have not bothered getting me a PS4 either. Or saving up £1000 to give to me on my 18th birthday (which they did too).
And it makes me think. All this time, I'm upset over how things hadn't gone how I wanted them to, yet I was lucky to even be here, in Scotland, doing something most people might never get the chance to do. I should be happy I'm where I am.
And suddenly I become happier. The tears of disappointment and frustration changed into tears of happiness, thankfulness and joy. And I think, you know what, let's keep going, let's go and see the end of this thing, see the cars finish. We were going to anyway but now I was happy I was going to get the chance. So off we went, to the town of Jedburgh (which we've been to before). On arriving there we discovered something humorous; that we'd miscalculated our timings and were an hour ahead of what the actual times were! Hence, we arrived in Jedburgh an hour early. We killed some time by going to a nearby coffee shop (my mother didn't go in, nor did she go to see the end) and me and my father went to see the end. After a lengthy half-hour wait, the cars began to file in at about 4:40 and it was nice to see, after the trials and tribulations of the day. We watched a few cars, and at about 5pm we decided it was time to go home. The drive home was long too, and we arrived home at about 7pm. And here I am now, home again.
My mother still doesn't want to talk to me, unsurprisingly. Perhaps I deserve it. But then again, I was lucky to get the chance to see what I saw. I did have a good day in the end. And it's all thanks to the lessons I learnt. I've never had a birthday where I learn anything before. I guess my 18th has been the most important for me, not because of what 18 means as an age, but rather as I now understand all the life lessons I've been taught over the years. I see what I've taken for granted; and that I could just as easily not have any of it. I was lucky to get what I did, and I should be happy I did get it. And I am. Very much so.
Perhaps I can reconcile with my mother tonight; maybe tomorrow. I plan to thank her for going to the bother of organising it all, and perhaps explain to her just how much I appreciate it, how much I appreciate her putting herself out for a son that demands the world from a family that can't give it; and never gives anything back in return - and how much I've learned from this one day that I thought wasn't going well, but in reality was actually one of the best days of my life. Not because it went well; because it didn't. But because it taught me the lesson that I hope that I'll remember, for my own sake.
That lesson: Learn to appreciate every little thing you get to do, as there's so many people out there who won't the chances you do.
And with that, I'm done. Hope I didn't get too philosophical on you all. I just feel different to how I did when I woke up. I almost feel like a new person, writing this blog post. Hopefully I'm a better one.