Sunday, January 14, 2007
Retrospective - 2006
“Sometimes a dream gets wasted,
Sometimes it all just falls and fades away,
And you may feel you’ve made it,
Then in a flash it all gets rearranged”
from Rearranged by Spock’s Beard.
Up until 19th October, 2006 was going pretty fine it must be said. Two of my best friends had both produced a gloriously life affirming bouncing baby – we got one of each type for those who don’t know - providing great joy and happiness to all who know them. I’d had two fantastic trips to Italy, the one to Venice counting up there with the best of all times I’ve had in the last few years which, let’s face it, haven’t exactly been filled exclusively with highlights. I’d witnessed some of the best live gigs ever including Journey’s amazing performance at Monsters of Rock – a band who hadn’t played here for 23 years and who I really didn’t expect to ever have the pleasure of, so to speak - and plans were well afoot for Christmas parties, next year’s holidays and all the great new toys we were going to treat ourselves to all in the name of Santa Claus’s birthday. It all seemed good. And then, as probably reflected in the above lyrics, it all got put on that great big rollercoaster we know as life and two double corkscrews and a death-defying plunge towards oblivion later we are left flustered and confused as to what has just happen to the normal straight ahead rush on to Christmas we had all been expecting……..
Being made redundant wasn’t something that was on the list, but I hated the job and had been planning to attempt to dig the proverbial tunnel out come January anyway. Money in the bank and paid holiday till Christmas all seemed well and good, but in reality, nobody likes having the rug pulled out from underneath them and there’s always the nagging questions of “why was it me and not that useless dickhead who sat across from me?” and “will I ever find anything else to do with the rest of my days?” Both are still unanswered.
And then, a death. So out of left field and unexpected that the world just seems to cease to contain me, seemingly moving around without my direct participation anymore. People are still laughing, joking, fighting, killing but this all appears to be happening outside the bubble of my own existence and nothing that made up my day to day life seems to matter anymore. My sister is devastated and her 4 young kids are left heart broken. Two families are left with a huge hole torn in the middle. Two companies and their 80 odd staff are left without their founder and Managing Director. And somewhere in the midst of all this, everyone starts looking towards you as the one who can make sense of it all. Well, I can’t. I don’t know what Mike did or what his passwords were or where his stuff is filed. I don’t have the knowledge to run his companies or know who the directors of DESK are or who has the signing authority on TAMIS accounts. I don’t know who did the accounts or where the will is or whether it’s a company car or not. I just don’t…..
But slowly, with the outstretched arms and baby steps of a child making its transition from rug rat to toddler, things are getting done. It’s not easy searching through someone else’s business and private life, but we’ve had to do it, and bit by bit we seem to be getting done what has to be done. It’s early days yet, but hopefully the beginning of 2007 is at least looking marginally brighter than the end of 2006. Things will never be the same again, not least for my sister and family, but here’s hoping that we can at least take some of the weight off their shoulders and give them a fighting chance of tackling the unexpected extra challenges this new year has in store for them.
As for me, if you know anyone who has a job going spare, you know where to find me……………….
R.I.P. – Mike J Turner – 1965 – 2006.
Sometimes it all just falls and fades away,
And you may feel you’ve made it,
Then in a flash it all gets rearranged”
from Rearranged by Spock’s Beard.
Up until 19th October, 2006 was going pretty fine it must be said. Two of my best friends had both produced a gloriously life affirming bouncing baby – we got one of each type for those who don’t know - providing great joy and happiness to all who know them. I’d had two fantastic trips to Italy, the one to Venice counting up there with the best of all times I’ve had in the last few years which, let’s face it, haven’t exactly been filled exclusively with highlights. I’d witnessed some of the best live gigs ever including Journey’s amazing performance at Monsters of Rock – a band who hadn’t played here for 23 years and who I really didn’t expect to ever have the pleasure of, so to speak - and plans were well afoot for Christmas parties, next year’s holidays and all the great new toys we were going to treat ourselves to all in the name of Santa Claus’s birthday. It all seemed good. And then, as probably reflected in the above lyrics, it all got put on that great big rollercoaster we know as life and two double corkscrews and a death-defying plunge towards oblivion later we are left flustered and confused as to what has just happen to the normal straight ahead rush on to Christmas we had all been expecting……..
Being made redundant wasn’t something that was on the list, but I hated the job and had been planning to attempt to dig the proverbial tunnel out come January anyway. Money in the bank and paid holiday till Christmas all seemed well and good, but in reality, nobody likes having the rug pulled out from underneath them and there’s always the nagging questions of “why was it me and not that useless dickhead who sat across from me?” and “will I ever find anything else to do with the rest of my days?” Both are still unanswered.
And then, a death. So out of left field and unexpected that the world just seems to cease to contain me, seemingly moving around without my direct participation anymore. People are still laughing, joking, fighting, killing but this all appears to be happening outside the bubble of my own existence and nothing that made up my day to day life seems to matter anymore. My sister is devastated and her 4 young kids are left heart broken. Two families are left with a huge hole torn in the middle. Two companies and their 80 odd staff are left without their founder and Managing Director. And somewhere in the midst of all this, everyone starts looking towards you as the one who can make sense of it all. Well, I can’t. I don’t know what Mike did or what his passwords were or where his stuff is filed. I don’t have the knowledge to run his companies or know who the directors of DESK are or who has the signing authority on TAMIS accounts. I don’t know who did the accounts or where the will is or whether it’s a company car or not. I just don’t…..
But slowly, with the outstretched arms and baby steps of a child making its transition from rug rat to toddler, things are getting done. It’s not easy searching through someone else’s business and private life, but we’ve had to do it, and bit by bit we seem to be getting done what has to be done. It’s early days yet, but hopefully the beginning of 2007 is at least looking marginally brighter than the end of 2006. Things will never be the same again, not least for my sister and family, but here’s hoping that we can at least take some of the weight off their shoulders and give them a fighting chance of tackling the unexpected extra challenges this new year has in store for them.
As for me, if you know anyone who has a job going spare, you know where to find me……………….
R.I.P. – Mike J Turner – 1965 – 2006.
