Today was really rushed, with a thousand small-yet-important errands and tasks jostling my brain, and on top of everything else, I had made an appointment to give blood.
However, once there, my hectic day slowed right down – the first
task was to have a long, cool drink of squash while glancing at a list of activities
to avoid in case they made you faint. After
filling in a form with a smug long list of ‘No’s (no intravenous drug use,
recent tattoos, sex with intravenous drug users), I was settled into a
reclining seat and a line attached to my arm, tethering me to the spot.
Whatever tasks beckoned, I could now do none of them. Hits of the eighties played gently, and I scrolled
casually through the book I am reading on my phone. Apart from remembering to squeeze my fist, I
was relieved of all duties for a number of precious minutes. It was not unlike being at the hairdressers,
although without the glossy mags.
And afterwards, I was commanded to sit still for a bit and
have another lovely drink of squash and a cheering bag of crisps.
The only thing that nearly ruined this period of me-time was
when I saw that the snack selected by the woman next to me was a delicious
chocolatey waggon-wheel.
‘Nobody told me there were waggon-wheels!’ I wanted to
shout.
However, I took a deep breath and resumed my calmness. After all, I wouldn’t want to faint, would I?
