Going Forward…

I really don’t like this expression, which seems to occur so often in conversation lately.

But I have been stuck with it this holiday. In fact, going forward has been de rigeur

Having paid all that money for the clutch to be replaced on my elderly Matiz, recently, it has not been a good experience to realise that it is still not working right. 99% of the time, the car will not go into reverse gear, and sometimes the other gears are rather dodgy too. Bob drove it carefully into the local garage here in Norfolk, who confirmed it was the clutch at fault, but recommended we took it back to the garage who did the original work [“We could fix it but it would cost you a lot of money. They ought to put it right”]

So on the days without Steph, Mark, Liz or Jon with us, we have used the motorbike or bicycle to get places. When we have needed to use the car, we have found places where car park spaces can be driven into, and then driven out again without the need for reversing! It has been a real challenge, I have to say! The car has lived on the road outside, and not been reversed into the drive in case it gets stuck there. We have phoned the garage and told them we are taking the car in on Tuesday! Bob has been doing almost all the driving - but I shall have to do the journey back alone as he will be on the motorbike – no stopping halfway for a coffee then!

I plan to drive down the A47 singing to myself- probably this old hymn will be on my playlist

“Forward!” be our watchword, steps and voices joined;
Seek the things before us, not a look behind;
Burns the fiery pillar at our army’s head;
Who shall dream of shrinking, by our Captain led?
Forward through the desert, through the toil and fight;
Heaven’s Kingdom waits us, forward into light.