{"id":586,"date":"2021-07-30T17:55:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-30T08:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/?p=586"},"modified":"2021-07-30T21:53:57","modified_gmt":"2021-07-30T12:53:57","slug":"stephens-blog-29","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/?p=586","title":{"rendered":"Stephen’s blog"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n

Dear Regular Newsletter Readers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope this edition of our newsletter finds you all in good health.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Olympics is now under way and despite having to contend with the Corona virus there have been some very good performances from some of the competing athletes.  I was particularly impressed with Japan\u2019s win in the mixed doubles table tennis final against China; Japan came back from being 2 games down to take the match which was completely unexpected.  Team GB (Great Britain \u2013 where I am from) is not doing so badly, I think we have about 6 gold medals and we\u2019re currently lying 6th<\/sup> in the medals table.  The team GB swimmers have been putting in some good performances in the swimming pool and getting rewarded with gold medals; also diving has brought home a gold medal for team GB.  I hope both team GB and Japan manage to win a few more gold medals between them; it would be nice to think that team GB could catch up to Japan and possibly overtake them by the time we get to the end, we shall see.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My little offering for you all this week is not so much a poem but a string of rhyming meandering sentences joined up to look like a poem; I hope you find it interesting.      <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

By the way, this is the last newsletter until September, so I hope you all have a decent summer break and please continue to remain very Covid vigilant, at least until you\u2019ve been double jabbed.   <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

58 isn\u2019t old, it<\/u><\/em><\/strong>\u2019s just further away from warm than it is to cold<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n

I don\u2019t feel or look it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only time I\u2019m reminded of it is when I fill in forms or look down at my waist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only when you get older that you really appreciate having been blessed with a clear complexion and a young looking face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hair is silver grey and thinner than it used to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My eye sight has diminished to the point that without my glasses I struggle to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My difficulty in seeing both near and far has made me less interested in wanting to ride my scooter and drive around in my car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve never sold my soul to get something that only hard work and honesty can truly provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve rarely, if ever, been given to over thinking and letting things affect me, I\u2019ve much preferred taking such things in my stride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike Icarus flying too close to the sun, I\u2019ve never displayed hubris, I\u2019ve always tried to maintain just the right amount of healthy pride.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve dug myself in to quite a few holes and I\u2019ve always been able to dig myself out of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to lie in beds that are self-made will sooner or later turns boys in to men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve never once shied away from paying the required price when it needed to be paid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve always known when enough is enough, so my welcome has never been outstayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I occasionally arrive late, but it\u2019s only because I\u2019ve been delayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve faltered at times, but I\u2019ve always managed to make the grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I once pretended I couldn\u2019t when I could and to this very day I regret not having played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are times when I cannot remember things and I fear my memory is beginning to fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been lucky to live my life on open plains and not behind barbed wire and barricades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was once a page boy at a wedding and I was apparently never too far away from the flower girls and bridesmaids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever all hope has seemed lost, I\u2019ve knelt down at the side of my bed and prayed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In moments of despair, I\u2019ve looked towards the sky, put my hands together and said a prayer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a time in my earlier life when I thought that my carefree way of living had rewarded me with aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In relationships I\u2019ve cheated and been cheated on, but I have never been a betrayer nor have I ever been betrayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On odd occasions, when all my good shirts were in wash, I\u2019ve had to wear old ones with cuffs and collars that were frayed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m only now beginning to enjoy the benefits of being self-made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was introduced to the music of Glen Miller by my late dad and as he was being laid to rest out of the speakers came Moonlight Serenade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fire inside me is still burning brightly, but as I get older the light I emit will inevitably begin to fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a 15 year old kid, I can remember buying all the latest punk and new wave records from Peter Hall\u2019s music shop in Goole arcade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been a victim of unfair business practices and the company that subjected me to them is operating within the home appliances manufacturing trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

58 isn\u2019t old, it\u2019s just further away from warm than it is to cold.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A string of rhyming sentences (in no particular order) by Stephen Austwick<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Regular Newsletter Readers, I hope this edition of our newsletter finds you all in good health.  &nb…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stephens-corner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=586"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":591,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/586\/revisions\/591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.alphabendi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}