Saturday, November 14, 2015

Dougie: "Wish Upon A Star"


Today I was out looking for a shop named Papercraft in Chesterfield. 
I was looking for a piece of black paper which would be 50cmX50cm for the backdrop of a donated painting by Catherine Clinton. 
It's for the Specialist Stroke Services Winter Ball auction; which will be held in The Winding Wheel on Tuesday 17th November from 7pm till 11pm.
The auctioneer for that night will be Charles Hanson from the BBC's Bargain Hunt.

I thought I was walking in the right direction for this shop then I saw this black labradooodle sitting at the side of a pram. Some wonderful memories came back from when I was younger and remembered that the dogs; especially "Nibbs" the black labradoodle was always sitting like a sentry guard on duty. The dogs were looking after Robert out in the back garden. I've lived in the Portencross house at the end of West Kilbride Golf Links twice in my life, once as a family home and then moved back in with mum as we were moving back to Scotland from England, so it was a stop off until we found a place to move too. 
Great memories with Robert, Sarah-Jane, Michael, Sabre and Nibbs.


 I looked down at the dog as I was about to walk past them and gave the dog a pat on his head and mentioned that I used to have the same type of dog many years ago. I looked down at the young child and I seen the tracheostomy which was opening his windpipe and straight away I pulled the polo neck down and showed the parent my own scar on my throat and he asked me if I was born with this too?
A tracheostomy is an artifical opening into the windpipe (trachea) that is held open by a tracheostomy tube. This helps your child to breath more easily.
Air now goes in and out through the tracheostomy tube and bypasses the nose and mouth.
We started chatting about this subject and I found out the childs name was Dougie and he has been living with a tracheostomy since he was born so he knows nothing else. What a happy child he is as I talked away and I seen a smile appear as I gently rubbed the back of my finger onto his cheek. He uplifted my heart as I seen his reaction with a smile. I asked what was wrong with him and the reply was that no-one knows what's wrong with him.
There is so many people who moan and groan about their life and about this and that and "I can'nae!"
It seems to be  their main topic as they become oblivious of anything else as they natter away.
I appreciate what I can do now; even to have the feelings of all the aches and pains as I have good days and the bad days. I walk with a smile on my face and can't wait till I sit down again for a wee breather and rest the legs before I start again. (well it's really any excuse to stop for a cuppa!"


In the first picture you can see the eye movement over to me as I was talking and then in the second picture you can see the eye movement over to the passer-by who was talking as he took the pictures.
I'm going to Wish Upon A Star at night for Dougie as he uplifts my spirit with his happiness.


Life is for living and I can see that Dougie brings so much happiness to his family and the likes of myself as I was walking by. 
Touched by a special moment.