The fork in the road ……

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill.

I sometimes need to be reminded that listening is more important than speaking, understanding is a two way thing and being loved it a gift not a right. And when it comes to a fork in the road, be grateful that there is someone who wants to hold my hand and try to take the road less travelled with me, I have just got to ask them.

Devotion, Fortitude, Humility and Courage

A friend recently said this blog was ‘appreciative writing’ in style. I think (and hope) she meant that I never take anything or anyone for granted. As along with the incredible people I do life with, I get to go to some fascinating places. Everywhere is fascinating if you look for it (they say) or you are with someone who sees the things you don’t. Lucky the people in my life do just that, everytime I spend time with them.

Today was no exception, a visit to London to attend a conference (not a common occurrence in a little not for profit company) with the Board Chair of our company, Lady O is a fascinating person to be with, she has had a very interesting career as well as brought up a family, not easy especially when she did it. Now in her 60s and out thinking and working much younger people than her, I am grateful to spend one on one time with her. As she gives me advice on work and living life as a woman who has to work in areas that are sometimes more stretching than I think I can cope with. Lady O also understands the need to still be a person, mother, friend, partner and woman even though you are called for to be Boss, arbitrator, promoter, teacher and sorter for yourself and others (sometimes feeling you are failing at things a little too often for comfort). Her words of wisdom and support matter as does her appreciation of the work the team does to help and support our clients.

Her words today were as ever a mix of interesting, caring and informing. While she whisked me through London, a town where she has worked for years meeting all sorts of characters. Today she took me to her Club, one of the few very select social clubs in central London. The Reform Club founded in 1836, aimed at Reformers originally with an impressive address of 104 Pall Mall. i bet its even expensive to buy in Monopoly. Being greeted at the door was a finely dressed gentleman who seemed to know everyone by name (impressive), my name was Lady O’s guest (well it worked for me they let me wander around while Lady O sorted out a problem I had caused with our train tickets (yes I can screw up in front of anybody and live to blog!). The Club (which is what I assume people say) is still the same as days ‘gone by’, where the gentlemen and laterally woman dine and discuss business or maybe everything (well maybe not X Factor). Lady O informed me a few movie have featured the place, James Bond and 180 Days around the World she could remember. Going inside the building I really did expected to see men looking suspiciously like Winston Church, smoking cigars and doing deals of political importance with people of power in ‘The City’. However no Winston in residence only but people relaxed in conversation, although I did spot two men who looked from a lost generation who laughed like the two guys from the Muppets, they were enjoying The Club. No photos were allowed although I did smuggle a few, I would not be me if I didn’t. Obviously I didn’t ask for one behind the bar on this occasion.

The Club has bedrooms just like a hotel and presents the Members with the opportunity to build networks, yes the old ways and new age ways of Linked-In exist in harmony!

As we walked back to our conference at The Commonwealth Club (not as historic or as interesting as The Reformer) Lady O pointed out statues and monuments giving me an impromptu history lesson as we went. One monument stuck with me, being her favourite, a tall impressive structure with 4 words around it Devotion, Fortitude, Humanity and Courage. The monument is dedicated to Edith Cavell, a British patriot and nurse born in 1865, who is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from all sides of war, ‘without distinction’ and helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during World War I, for which she was arrested, court-martialled, being found guilty of treason and sentenced to death by a German firing squad. Lady O said she thinks she refused a blind fold preferring to die with dignity and no remorse for helping men no matter what side they fought. On the monument is her courageous last words “Patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness for anyone”. I could never imagine having the courage to say that staring at those who were about to take my life, and at only 49yrs. This led on to a discussion about courage both famous and of the daily challenges that people we know face. Its nice to spend time with Lady O and even nicer to widen my world for another day…..

Courage

If you have the courage to begin you have the courage to succeed.

David Viscott