Thanks mate, you are one of the stalwarts on here and always worth listening too. I would be happy to defend you anytime.
I have always stuck up for people worth defending, even through my childhood. I hated the bullies at school and used to get myself in many fights with them by defending others. They liked to take me on as I was more noted for success on the sporting field than academics at school, so they loved to and try bring me down. I ended up having to leave boarding school after year 8 as I was getting in repeated fights with one particular bully. I wasn't interested in fighting (actually at that stage I was even contemplating the priesthood, except I liked girls too much ) but he repeatedly targeted me after I gave him a hiding I year 7.
I had to fight for my son at his schools a lot to ensure he wasn't getting ignored. We fully funded the school with an extra teacher in class to ensure he was getting an education, but he was also an easy target in the playground. I still remember the day he came home from school and asked, "Daddy, what's a retard?" I can't express the hurt and anger I felt. There were a pack of kids following him around at lunchtime every day and taunting him.
I've said a lot about my son's medical history but I've had my own challenges. I had melanoma treatment while I was doing my final specialist exams. I use that as my excuse as to why it took me three goes..lol. Not long after I was called into the bank around 2016 and confronted with my poor investment history, I started getting chest pain and ended up having two coronary stents put in. I was told I needed to work less and reduce my stress. I was in my early 50's at the the time and, being a doctor, I realised the clock was ticking on my expiration date. I tried to get the right work-exercise balance happing and was on top of my health until just before Covid. I was runing and swiimming every day and in the gym every other day. However, I probably pushed things too hard as I tend to do and started getting one injury after another. I have been on the decline since and put on 15kg in the last 2-3 years. I need to do something now about this!
Anyway, that's me in a nutshell spread over 3 posts. I deliberately left my wife and daughter out as a man deserves some privacy.
Hopefully if LTR continues to exist into next year I'll get a chance to finally meet some of the long term crew on here who have been very much part of my life along this incredible journey. I'll be looking to keep myself busy in "retirement" and will make it to some of the conferences or AGM in Perth.
) but he repeatedly targeted me after I gave him a hiding I year 7.
(20min delay)