Not a 6/10. Some days I wake up with a headache that is worse than I usually have. Tuesday was one of these days, and I dragged myself through the morning. Monday was a difficult day, as one of our cats, Bombel, went missing. I was hobbling around on Monday morning, looking for him all around the neighbourhood. No sign of him, and I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing. As a result, I didn’t do my meditation in the morning, and the whole day was in turmoil. I think that Tuesday’s headache was a ‘hangover’ from Monday.

This is a normal occurrence for me, and I decided that despite the pain that I would still head out to do some market research. My thought was that it could be worse if I didn’t distract myself during the day. Sometimes I get to work around Connemara, a beautiful part of Ireland, and the region where I was born. The scenery is spectacular, and it brings me great joy to see it. As part of Tuesday’s travels, I was driving along the ‘Old Bog Road’. It is about 10 km long and takes about 15 minutes to drive. A slow meandering road, with twists and turns, sometimes unexpected.

This is an old road, with the wrinkles of age deeply etched on its surface. It is narrow, and at times it follows the course of a small river. It rises and falls, but keeps going. By not allowing the ancient rocks to deter its course, it finds a path around them, acknowledging their presence. Just because it faces an obstacle it doesn’t stop. It continues. This is not a new road that directly goes from one town to another, with its smooth manicured surface that betrays all its challenges. It’s character obscured by engineering plastic surgeons. I could not help but see my life is like ‘The Old Bog Road’.

Every day I face challenges that healthy people would cringe at facing. Instead of faltering, giving up, or admitting defeat in the face of fatigue, pain (always the pain), lost sensations and concrete-laden steps, I remain strong. The rocks and boulders on my journey are still there, but I have found a way of going around them. I adapt. I change. I learn from the mistakes I have made. This journey that I am on has taught me that I am stronger than I thought. That the harsh beauty of my life will also be seen on my face, in my steps.

My headache did get worse during the afternoon, and by the time I arrived home, it was excruciating. Every move I made, every glance, brought stabbing pain. I ate and went to bed. Wednesday arrived, and I awoke to another 6/10, but this time I am staying at home. This day I rested. I saw the rock, and I am taking the easy path around it. Bombel still has not returned home…