Thursday, 15 June 2023
I woke at my usual time and went through my usual routine of breakfast with coffee. Today I had the last of my toast. I need to lose weight and cutting out bread is a part of my plan, so I used up what bread I had, savouring every mouthful, knowing it would be my last for a long time if not forever.
I saw that an email had come through about a complaint I had lodged at my university. I have been waiting for this email regarding the outcome of my complaint for some time now and I was mentally preparing to take it to the next stage which would be a complaint to the students’ ombudsman. I opened it apprehensively, wondering which way the judgement would go and to my surprise and delight the judgement went in my favour! I have won and I do not have to pay anymore fees for my course! I have already paid for 4 years for my course, but because of illness, several changes in supervision and Covid, I am in essence, starting all over again. My complaint centred around further payments of fees, which I felt was unfair considering everything I had been through. Thankfully the panel who investigated my complaint agreed with me and I can restart my studies. This does mean that my ‘holiday’ is now over, and I have to get down to some hard work, but I know I can do it and I can’t wait to get back to uni and back to having a purpose in life.
I was in a really good mood because of my good news, and I decided to go for a run over the moors above Hebden Bridge to celebrate. I can’t run far because of my hip, so I’m putting all the knowledge I’ve built of the area to good use and creating runs of around 4 miles that still have interesting routes and go to a good vantage point. Today I decided to go to High Brown Knoll on top of Midgley Moor. I parked up at Old Town cricket club and jogged up Wainsgate Lane and Slack House Lane to the moor. At the moor I followed a path I have run on before along the edge of the moor until it disappeared! One minute I was on a trail, then following a trod and then nothing, at which point I decided it would be better to head up the moor and get on the trail above me, rather then keep heading across open moorland which would add a lot of time to my run. I did stop in the middle of the open moorland and take some photos while thinking about someone who has recently passed away and was an avid photographer at fell races everywhere. The views were so beautiful and so far reaching. It was a privilege to be able to witness them on such a stunning day.
I reached the path above me and headed up to High Brown Knoll. At High Brown Knoll, I stopped for some water and to look around me and try and take in all the beauty I was surrounded by. It felt like I could reach out and touch heaven, a clear blue sky with a sun radiating brilliance on the world below. It’s at times like this, when I’m alone on top of the moors on a beautiful day, that life is worth living. With so much bad news day after day, it would be easy to think that there is nothing worth living for, but there is and sometimes you have to go out and find it. I did today and I found it.
Despite wanting to stay at High Brown Knoll forever I knew I couldn’t. I set off back down the moor taking a different path down that brought me back onto the trail I had come up on. I ran all the way back to my car which gave me a good feeling. I wasn’t fast but I enjoyed being able to run even if it wasn’t like I used to be able to.
I popped into the local farm shop on the way home and got some pork chops and chicken. I saw an old friend I haven’t seen in years there and we chatted about the good old days when we use to go out drinking together every weekend.
Home and some chops for tea before settling down in front of the TV for a relaxing evening after another very good day.
The Autistic FellRunner 