Hi all! Steve here,

Well what can I say about the football match we recently played against the stars? Well, it went something like this ............we lost! I'm suitably gutted! My memory of the game is however completely fuddled, especially since our recent World cup disaster as well! Too many bad results! Too much pain! I think the Fire Service score ended up 3 - 1, but at least we can hold our heads high in the knowledge that our Fire Service team IS as good as the England World cup squad! But wait! Maybe I shouldn't say that! As I COULD be accused of holding the Fire Service in disrepute!!! You have to admit, the sun was shining in South Africa but England's performance was very, very dull indeed!

Strange isn't it, how football has such a direct influence on our national spirit. When our team's winning, the feel good factor is AWESOME! Then again, if our team's losing, we're looking around for a CAT TO KICK! Sorry cat lovers! Well, the mood I'm in, I think you'll all see through my attempt to be cheerful, so I'm not even going to try.

Those of you who've been reading my blog would have noticed I try to keep it as light and cheerful as possible. This is, and has been a real task, especially since the football! It's been over two years now since the incident and I've realised in that time that being off work 'on the sick' is, paradoxically a full time job! The only respite from myself is when I sleep. I can walk normally in my dreams. I don't have a contorted right foot and my balance is as it was before the incident. Also my left arm bends and straightens fully and I have all my fingers and what's more, my hearing is perfect!. The reality of my situation arises as I do, there are no holidays from my body, no time off for good behavior and I can rarely spend time on my own because when I fall over, I can't get up without help! Just once in a while I feel and see a flicker of difference in my arm, my foot or my balance. These incremental changes are keeping me sane and sure of some kind of recovery, although I know it's going to be years rather than months until I've recovered as much of my old self as possible.

Thankfully the Fire Service are supporting me as if I'm still a front line firefighter. The way I see it, I'm being paid to get myself fit again, and as I described earlier, it's more than a full time job, it's become my life! I used to be quite an active man, running, cycling and going to the gym and so on, so I've no regrets where that's concerned. I still have fond memories of the 2 marathons I ran and all the training I was able to do for them. And a cycling trip to France with my friends where we cycled all round the mountainous area of Les Gets. We got back to the hotel after being out from around 10am till around 5.30pm - I reckon we clocked up about 30 miles a day for 6 days on average. It was great fun!

I miss my old self so much and what I was able to do. I've even begun to notice people more than I used to and wonder why they don't use their bodies while they can? It doesn't matter what shape they're in, as long as they can use everything they've got! What's the problem? They'll miss it when it's gone! Maybe they won't be involved in an accident like I was - or maybe they will! We can never be certain what life has in store for us, but one thing is certain, we'll all become older and less capable.

So here's my message to you all. Don't sit watching football, go outside and play it! And if you don't enjoy that, find something else! Go jogging or cycling or even just plain old walking. Did you know if you walk 2 miles, or ran the same 2 miles, you would have burned exactly the same amount of calories! Anything to keep your body busy! You'll not regret it!!!

That's all for this time! So keep your bodies busy and look after yourselves!

FF Steve Morris.

PS I've just thought of a very very mild exercise to get us all started! It involves stretching up and pointing your finger then pushing a button. Some of you may even have go on to your tippy toes to achieve this! 'Do I need any equipment' I hear you ask? Well yes, but it's not expensive! 'Will it take long' I hear you say? Well about 5 to 10 seconds should be enough time depending on how many SMOKE ALARMS you have around your house.......Oop's did I say SMOKE ALARMS.........Ooh who am I trying to kid! You all guessed straight away didn't you! I hope!!!