{"id":2837,"date":"2024-07-06T19:23:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-06T19:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/?p=2837"},"modified":"2024-07-06T19:23:52","modified_gmt":"2024-07-06T19:23:52","slug":"2837-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/2837-2\/","title":{"rendered":"!?&@!!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Hurricane Beryl had just crashed through Carriacou and taken a side-swipe at the Grenadines as she passed. I was in Trinidad\u2019s Scotland Bay a hundred miles to the south watching it all on YouTube.<\/p>\n

I had joined the exodus and was feeling exceptionally pleased with myself.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a tip: Never feel too pleased with yourself.<\/p>\n

The next morning, I puttered back to Chaguaramas to complete Trinidad and Tobago\u2019s byzantine customs and immigration process (How many people have died on the voyage other than as the result of an accident?)<\/p>\n

I knew the way \u2013 just round the corner, round Delgado Point where the buoy\u2019s missing, and someone has helpfully posted the fact on the Navionics Chart. Two miles round the corner was no trouble. I had just dodged a hurricane\u2026<\/p>\n

That was when I hit the rock. The rock that is clearly marked on the chart. The chart that I was not looking at because I\u2019ve just got Starlink and had flicked over to Facebook to look at pictures of all the boats piled up like spilikins on the hard at Tyrrell Bay.<\/p>\n

In other words, I wasn\u2019t paying attention to the job in hand. It\u2019s something I do a lot \u2013 have done all my life. People called me a dreamer (one of the kinder explanations).<\/p>\n

What I say to myself when I knock a chunk out of a boat has not always been so forgiving. Hitting a rock at four knots is just the sort of thing I would beat myself up about for days. Samsara<\/em> certainly didn\u2019t deserve to lose a great scrape of gelcoat from the leading edge of the keel. Now she\u2019ll have to come out for repair \u2013 more expense.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

More reason to berate myself for the fool that I am.<\/p>\n

Except I don\u2019t do that anymore.<\/p>\n

Now I know there is a reason for it \u2013 this not paying attention, these temporary absences from real life. This is classic ADHD.<\/p>\n

Get over it.<\/p>\n

If you would like to read about the other absurdities (and hilarities) that I lay at the door of this ridiculous mental kink. I have written my life story \u2013 now that I understand it. You can find it on Amazon. It\u2019s called Faster, Louder, Riskier Sexier \u2013 Learning to love ADHD.<\/em><\/p>\n

And if I do say so myself, it\u2019s a cracking read.<\/p>\n

But then I would say that, wouldn\u2019t I? So, don\u2019t take it from me. Take it from the first couple of reviewers.<\/p>\n

One says: \u201cI\u2019ve read a few of John\u2019s books and I read his blog, this book is his best work yet – in my opinion! \u201c<\/p>\n

Another writes: \u201cThis is a wonderful memoir and a great read\u2026 John writes with the style of a top journalist and the honesty of a great memoirist.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/amzn.eu\/d\/00WelhNb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Hurricane Beryl had just crashed through Carriacou and taken a side-swipe at the Grenadines as she passed. I was in Trinidad\u2019s Scotland Bay a hundred miles to the south watching it all on YouTube. I had joined the exodus and was feeling exceptionally pleased with myself. Here\u2019s a tip: Never feel too pleased with yourself. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2837","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2837"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2837\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2840,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2837\/revisions\/2840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racecoast.net\/omstest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}