Adversity can enrich your life
Though I wish I didn’t have cancer, I realise the wake-up call the diagnosis gave me has made my life more fulfilling in so many ways, with a better sense of purpose and worth.
A couple of months ago I was approached by two work colleagues who I’d not seen since before Covid who asked if I was interested in them putting on a charity gig for Prostate Cancer UK, which they had done a few years ago when I worked with them.
While I had secretly hoped they would be up for another concert I had no expectations they’d do it.
But after a discussion through email they rallied their respective bands, Risk Assessment and Prime Numbers (surely you’d never have guessed they work in financial services), plus a couple of other work colleagues to have another Men
United band night.
What an event it was too. Around 150 people went, raising around £2,000, and The Tokenhouse pub in Moorgate, in the City of London, let us use the venue for free.
What was even more humbling was that colleagues I had not seen for many years made the effort to come along, alongside running friends from my desert escapades and other parts of my life.
It selfishly felt like my party (but one where they all paid a tenner to come along!). It was also a good test for me, having given up drinking as a New Year’s resolution, but I genuinely found it was enough just to be there on such a great night, even if many of those there ended up a little over refreshed!
Then today, having spent the last 49 days watching a small trace dot on a computer screen, my friends Matt, Neil and Steve finished rowing across the Atlantic, again for two great cancer charities Prostate Cancer UK and Wolo Foundation.
Watching the finishing scene on YouTube was quite emotional and I can’t wait to see them back home and hear all about it.
I hope that reading this can inspire you to do something or help others to do some great things – and you don’t have to have cancer to do it!