Life Moves Pretty Fast…

Life Moves Pretty Fast . . .

You know how the quote ends, don’t you?

https://youtu.be/vsYBtfQ3QDo?si=zCkkNLy6IVkR4S3Y

I was so happy to be able to use this in real life the other day, with my friend’s 10 year-old daughter. It’s absolutely true; I know that time moves at exactly the same rate every day and that time is perception as well as the movement of the planet. I know the rational side of time and I know the subjective way that time works, in respect of how we live our lives.

I deliberately pack my time as full as I can. Too many people important to me have died too young; we only get one try at life; there’s always another book to read, somewhere new to visit, something else to learn.

But the part of the quote about stopping and looking around once in a while is what’s going on at the moment.

I’ve been to Ireland, Berlin, France, Calderdale, London, and Wiltshire in the last 6 weeks. I am changing job and industry in the next 4 weeks. I have the benefit of two weeks off in between. I have been taking stock but also not wanting to slow down. I am making informed choices in the moment, and loving it. I am grateful to have great support around me to talk things through, and then act.

I am trying to act on good instincts in respect of my current job and how I raise concerns appropriately about that, and I am looking forward to starting something new, in a sector that I am as passionate about as where I work at the moment. I have only really ever thought of myself as an NHS manager. It’s the only job I could think I wanted to do 24 years ago when I was graduating in modern languages; and even though I’ve worked in other sectors, I have always wanted to and never felt settled until I return to the NHS and to where I work now.

It may be that this is only a hiatus, or I may be starting a second career that will take me to that glorious moment of retirement. I am open to either, genuinely, and amazed that I have such an opportunity available to me.

I am really sad to be leaving a number of colleagues who I have loved working with; who work with good intentions, good hearts, good humour and joy. We’ve been through Covid, we’ve been through the worst winter ever (until the next one), we’ve been through change and churn and kept our good graces for our patients. I love being part of this ‘we’. I am really going to miss this. I already feel guilty for leaving and haven’t done so yet. I am also angry and know I need to process this anger (through action, I think).

I am determined to commit to the new job and the opportunity that has presented itself, and I am grateful that my NHS work and experiences have given me the skills set to make this move.

So, expect more photos of more places as I stop and look around for the next few weeks.