This morning I went to the park for my daily exercise and also for my sanity. It’s good to clear the mind and get the blood flowing, however it’s still a little brisk. Often when I return my left arm gives me jip and this is due to an altercation I had with a Mark 1 green Ford Escort estate on my way to school, circa 1974. However my back was also giving me hard time too.

We lived in Corseford and I used to go to Johnstone High school. I’d leave the house as late as possible so that I could get to school just as the bell was ringing and most of the time this worked out just fine. But on this particular morning the shit hit the fan.

To get to Johnstone High we had to cross the busy Beith Road which was relatively easy if you crossed at the school gate, but of course that’s for big Jessie’s, and so we would cross the road a few hundred yards further up the road just to be different. So on this particular morning I was running late and I had to get across the road and so I decided that after the double Decker went past, I would sprint across, however I did not see the Green M registered Mark 1 Escort, until about a second before it hit me and the next thing I know I’m flying. I rolled over the bonnet and landed on the ground and quickly recovered my composure and headed on up to school as if nothing had happened. I have a vague recollection of the driver shouting at me but I have no idea what he was saying but I got that he impression that he was extremely pissed off with me and I couldn’t understand why because he was the one that hit me after all.

I don’t remember having any blood on me, I’m not sure if I banged my head but I’m sure I must have because before the accident I was pretty clever, I’m sure of that…………. and so I think it was more than my dignity that suffered on that day. Someone was with me as I walked up to the school and I’m saying don’t tell anyone about this, but of course I did not really have a choice in the matter. When I finally arrived at school I think I was going into shock and I was taken to see one of the teachers and they were told about my flying adventure that I had had on the way there.

It’s all a bit hazy from here on in. I was sent home and the doctor was called to check me over and he gave some wonderful drugs that put me to sleep for about 24 hours or so. I woke up and thought,”That was a crazy dream”, but then I tried to move and the pain set in. I was battered and bruised but I had been extremely lucky that I hadn’t broken anything.

The driver even came to the house to make sure that I was ok and he of course was pretty shaken by what had happened. This is not something that I could understand then but I do now……….

However as the years have gone on I feel that there was more damage done than meets the eye. For example if I put any weight on it, you know like if you are having coitus, or doing some push ups, my arm would shake………….it’s a bit embarrassing.

If I picked up something there would be pain in my arm. The left side of my back gets so tight and sore and then it sends the pain up the left side of my neck to me skull. A good massage can give me relief from the pain in my back but only for a short time. It feels like there is a knot just below my shoulder-blade being twisted tighter and tighter to the point where it may split. So I have suffered some kind of nerve damage and it has been a problem from time to time.

The pain I now get in my left arm is sometimes like a fire inside and at other times just an ache, but I will not stop doing my exercise in the morning. I do reduce the intensity of the work out depending on the level of pain, but this morning the knot has appeared below my shoulder-blade and when I came home I asked Sissi to massage it a bit which helped but then after about 30 mins the knot begins to tighten once more. A combination of old war wounds and old age I’m afraid, but I will continue to do my morning jaunt to the park and adjust the workout based on the level of discomfort.

Years later I began to drive the double Decker buses and I even did the school run to my old school. Other kids have been killed on this busy Beith Road and so I guess that I’m one of the lucky ones on that day and maybe just maybe someone was looking out for me………………..