Advice Part 72- Testing character in a few easy steps

Since I was three years old, I have had Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes. Just to clear up any confusion, T1 occurs when immune system attacks the pancreas, which stops producing sufficient insulin. It has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with being overweight, eating an unhealthy diet, or not exercising enough.

Anyway. Rant over.

My advice for young players is that whilst there are few "bonuses" associated with having a medical condition like this, it can actually provide you with a REALLY effective way to judge a person's character.

How do I know this? Read on.....

A few years ago, I went to dinner with a "gentleman". As I wasn't sure when we'd be eating, I waited until we arrived at the restaurant and had placed our orders before I gave myself my insulin injection.

The insulin injection looks a bit like a pen. You attach a special needle to the top, dial up the dosage you want, and then inject it into your preferred body part (in my case, the abdomen, near my navel).

All up, this process takes about 20 seconds.

It's not a big deal.

Wanting to be polite, I mentioned to my date that I had diabetes, and I would be giving myself an injection under the table. I explained that (like the VAST majority of people with diabetes) I prefer not to inject in toilets, because they're generally not that clean. And it's a really minor procedure anyway.

Normally, people are fine with this. But my "date's" reaction was somewhat, err, different.

His expression was one of absolute horror. And repulsion.

"What the......?" he muttered. "You mean.....? You're not really.....? You've got DIABETES? I mean, err, umm......yuk......No, sorry, wow. And you have to give yourself an injection? That's disgusting. How can you do that to yourself? Really gross." And with that, he averted his gaze, and crinkled his nose.

Wow. Just wow.

Sure, some people are squeamish, and don't want to see me inject. That's why I warned him. And yes, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to inject at all. But it's a pretty simple equation- without injecting, I WILL DIE. I'm not doing this for kicks, for god's sake. So to say it's "disgusting" is REALLY, really insensitive.

I decided I wouldn't see him again after that. Which turned out to be a wise decision.

So now, when I meet someone I might like, I subject them to my own personal, copyrighted "Diabetes Reaction Character Test" ASAP to see how they respond. You've been warned! ;-)

Advice Part 71- Why I HATE the beach

As those of you in Sydney will have noticed (how could you not?) the weather of late has been unseasonably warm. Despite the fact that it's only October, the temperature is nudging 30 degrees, and I have been forced to prematurely abandon my opaque tights for fear of overheating.

Pah.

Whilst some of you may welcome the arrival of summer, for me, it tends to be greeted with considerable distaste, because suddenly one of the most popular topics of conversation is the beach.

And I LOATHE the beach. With a PASSION.

My advice for young players is that if, like me, you have a supreme aversion to the beach, and the mention of the word "Bondi" sends a cold, unpleasant shiver up your spine, it is best to exercise caution when airing this opinion, unless you wish to be viewed as being "somewhat eccentric."

So, you may be saying, it's all well and good that you don't like the beach (interesting bonus fact- the second phrase I learnt in Spanish, after "My name is...." was "No, I don't like the beach AT ALL). But WHY?

Well, here's a short list of some of the things I loathe....

• The sun. If, like me, you are somewhat fair, sitting out in the sun in the middle of the day tends to have VERY bad consequences. Such as sunburn so painful that you can't sit or lie down for a week. Even if you have used....

• Suncream. As well as having limited efficacy, suncream makes my skin greasy and leads to an inevitable break out of pimples (yet another part of my teenage years that I would rather not revisit). And, of course, it serves as a glue for.....
• Sand. Which has a tendency to deposit itself in the most inconvenient places. Such as inside your bag. And shoes. And, invariably, the crotch of your.....
• Swimsuit. Now this is my idea of HORROR. OK, so I'm not exactly high in body confidence, but I can think of few things worse than running around in a swimming costume. And people do this for PLEASURE?! Are they MAD?! Still, you can avoid displaying your (not so) "bangin' bikini body" by.....

• Swimming. Yet whilst the water may provide a convenient camouflage for the modest, you also run the risk of being caught in a rip, stung by bluebottles, eaten by sharks, washed out to sea.....the list goes on. 

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand how anyone could actually ENJOY such an excursion.

All I can say is, give me a cold climate any day of the week.