I’m in Mark’s & Spencer’s cafe.
Grabbing breakfast with the other grey hairs before I go to my last supervision of my student hood .
I will miss my supervisor, who is insightful, calm, focused and unflowery.
I can’t bullshit her, or myself when I’m with her.
I feel, when she looks at me, she sees the real me
That was disconcerting to start with
Her professionalism has made me more professional.
After supervision I’m going to finish off my counselling paperwork,( which is considerable)
Tomorrow I have my final three clients which will put my counselling hours to 103
Friday my portfolio will be submitted
They have no avocado on toast in the cafe
I sigh theatrically
They never do
The cashier looks at me the way that Weaver does,
Through narrow eyes
When I pause , trying to work the carbs out in the other breakfast on offer
I’m not having the attitude this morning
“ I’m a new diabetic , I have to be careful” I told her
She smiled weakly
Which said, I just can’t be arsed
Your supervisor helped YOU see the real you...
ReplyDeleteThe delights of M&S cafés....
I prefer small local independent coffee shops..you get the feeling that they want to be there and want you there as well!!
Yes, I think you are right, but I have old family nostalgia for marks
DeleteWhich M&S were you at then? The one in Llandudno now has no staff serving in the café, it's all done by ordering at the machines on the way in. It always makes me feel as though I am just one step up from being in MacDonald's. I was going to say at least you got to speak to someone, but when it's all one way it can feel ten times worse than ordering off a bloody machine.
ReplyDeletePrestatyn , its nose to nipple with old people
DeleteTo see the real you, you could have just looked in the bathroom mirror or the glass of a shop front. I hope that very soon you will begin to make money from counselling. I admire you greatly for securing your new qualification in your early sixties.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a nice compliment Neil , thank you
DeleteOur M&S has just closed its café. Their coffee was never very good anyway, just hot water and milk.
ReplyDeleteThe final push with your student-hood must feel very satisfying?
And a bit worrying
DeletePoached egg on toast? I am glad to hear you are almost finished, lots of "the last times" in this process. Soon you will be booking clients. The world needs you.
ReplyDeleteYes saying goodbye to many things just recently
DeleteSome people should never work in customer-facing positions (that sounds like gobbledygook!)
ReplyDeleteMind you dealing with the great unwashed day in and day out must be exhausting
DeleteYou are finally about to reap the rewards of all that hard work. I envy your determination and dedication. I think I would have bowed out ages ago!
ReplyDeleteI have a similar problem with dairy free. I'm lactose intolerant, so don't eat butter. Some places, when you ask for dairy free spread, look at you as if you've asked for a fiver out of the till. The best is when they say, "We've got butter, will that be alright?" Er, what part of dairy-free don't you get?!!😞 xx
British service isn’t quite the best
DeleteYour final sentence says it all - that Look which says "I can't be ar$ed." I get it all the time, ever since I reached my 70th birthday. I'm 80 now and am treated like an idiot, useless and a b;oody nuisance. It's easier to stay indoors, isolated but away from the madding crowds.
ReplyDeleteI get that even though I’m 63
DeleteYou go invisible
Eat avocado toast at home before you head out?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting all of your student work done!
My indulgence is having breakfast out, even if it’s a McDonald’s porridge
DeleteYou really have made remarkable changes in your life.
ReplyDeleteThank you dearheart
DeleteI'm impressed! You can do anything you decide to do. With your new qualifications, starting a lucrative business will be great. Reach for the stars John...
ReplyDeleteI’ve always worked for the nhs or the hospice, never for myself, that’s the next biggest challenge
DeleteFlintshire, like most councils, offers free new-business support. It will tell you all about the admin side of things.
DeleteWishing you well as you jump through the last hoops of student work this week. Remember "shrea, shrea", meaning "one thing at a time".
ReplyDeleteAh, a bright new future is ahead of you, young man, by your own diligence and excellence you'll soon be out to help the world one client at a time. How marvelous.
Hugs!
Where does shrea come from?
DeleteAccording to google, it's from the Sanskrit language and Hindu culture and means prosperity or divine beauty and baby girls are often given it as a name. I read it in a book by Anne Lamott titles "Bird by Bird" (have donated my copy) and it was used by her father to mean 'take things one at a time'. Go figure.
DeleteHugs!
Love itx
DeleteJohn, is there a 'Novelty Vegetable Class' in this year's Flower Show?
ReplyDeleteThere is indeed and the photograph section is open to all bloggers, I will blog about this tomorrow
DeleteWhat a great educational/developmental experience this has been for you. Don’t you hate when they can’t be arsed?!
ReplyDeletelol not really, it amuses me more
DeleteYou seem a bit overwhelmed and annoyed today...but the end is in sight, lots wrapping up. You'll do it all. Avocado toast is yucky, how about scrambled eggs or an omelet?
ReplyDeleteNot annoyed just on tick down to know if I’m qualifying ..we ( the class) still have two outstanding pieces of work that haven’t been second checked
DeleteAvocado on toast with a poached egg and bacon is sublime ..and doesn’t spike your blood sugars
"hold the avocado"--and I love avocado.
ReplyDeleteRooting for a great finals success--I am sure you will do very well. Nerve wracking tho. Best wishes.
oops this belonged above
DeleteI love breakfast out. Egg allergy is the biggest barrier. If the egg is hidden (aka in cakes, pancakes) I can manage. Present me with poached, boiled, fried, or scrambled, it's hives, congestion, throat swelling.
ReplyDeleteI've put my retirement notice in. The last six months has made me want to scream, nursing shortage? Caused by horrible management and out of control families abusing staff.
Good for u xx
DeleteAnother retired nurse here - ENJOY working these last days and then not again!!!!!
DeleteHugs!
lol me too
DeleteYep, you, too!!!!!
DeleteHugs!
You are oh so close to the finish line it's amazing what you have achieved thus far. I can smell the dollars in your future! I love breakfast out but usually don't eat breakfast in the morning so I have it after 1pm after fasting. My go to is eggs benedict with salmon. Yum. I too am 63 but can't imagine retiring, how does one pay for things. Retirement pension here is dire and we only have just paid off our mortgage so there has been little opportunity to save much. I have a Kiwi saver (pension scheme) but that is only small as we started late, the conundrum bothers me greatly.
ReplyDeleteI’m not sure it will be a money spinner
DeleteLife just gets to damned difficult as one gets older. You could ask (85 year old) me. But smiling cures a lot.
ReplyDelete"I feel, when she looks at me, she sees the real me
ReplyDeleteThat was disconcerting to start with"
I get you. It's almost like an invasion of privacy.
I've never been to an M & S Café, but I know of people who go almost every day. It's like a club!
ReplyDeleteYour choice of avocado breakfast sounds delicious and I will have to try it. I quite like M&S cafes but have never been there for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI went to a daytime film screening yesterday and noticed how patient and pleasant the staff were with all the older customers. It was so good to see.