You might think I’d know better at my age (21), but no! Tripping over at the beginning of a walk from St Mawgan to Mawgan Porth this summer, I felt a rather nasty twinge but rather than turn back, decided to continue in the face of increasing pain. Four miles to the sea and back, the last mile of which I spent being supported by two strong teenage lasses who patiently walked with me as I hopped between them. I’d managed to sprain my foot which, believe me, is excruciating.
I am in two minds about my inclination never to give in. I put it down to being brought up as the only girl amongst four brothers – I was never going to be girly, thank you very much! Whatever they could do, I could do as well. And yes, I wanted to be better too, although I can’t say I always achieved that ambition.
I suspect that on more than one occasion, the need to carry on regardless (that sounds like a Sid James / Barbara Windsor film) has not been the right decision, such as the time I fell off a horse and broke my ankle, but jumped back on to ride back to the stables. Or the occasion that I carried on up a very high mountain even though I wasn’t a very good skier, and had to snowplough awkwardly all the way back down.
However, there are good sides to this trait, one being that when I’m faced with a different mountain – that of work – to climb, I always seem to make it to the top in one piece, whilst remaining true to my own exacting standards.
One of the ‘tenets’ of Tae Kwando, which my son does, is the need to have an indomitable spirit. That’s determined, stubborn, tough. I like to think that I am an indomitable writer.
Whatever my freelance writing life throws at me; marketing copy, PR press releases, features or web copy or all of the above, sometimes at the same time, I know that I will just get on with it. Because that’s what I do. In a similar way, my foot is still sore but I just have to keep taking the dogs for a walk – well nobody else will do it…!