The Happiest Days of Our Lives - The Pink Floyd

Lyric:- By pouring their derision upon anything we did and exposing every weakness - Waters

Song Choice:- On a weekend that marks the Great Bards 400th Anniversary (of his death, which seems a little strange but hey ho), I'm really proud to say that he and I both went to the same school Grammar School in Stratford-upon-Avon.

There have been lots of news clips this week from the Tudor Styled 'Big School' where he studied and where I did my exams including my English Language 'O' Level way back in 1977. Sadly, Shakespeare’s English Literature passed me by, but I wonder what he would make an 'Internet Blog' and I wonder if his school days were as 'happy' as I remember mine were.

Or were they? Are my memories of what happened from 1973-1980, really what happened. They were really formative, terrorising and enjoyable all at the same time, you see the human brain is capable of an enormous amount of rose tinted retrospective thinking. I believe that I have definite 'Stockholm Syndrome' love for my teachers. Most of them were ex-army, violent bullies that beat the education in, whilst beating the crap out of us on a regular daily basis. Those really were the days eh?

Well, school like so many aspects of life have proved both a challenge and a struggle for us all I'm sure. Luckily, triumph over adversity brings reward and that’s been my major life driver.

Being continually tested, and being on permanent trial must have been the making of a young and impressionable Coleman. It still is if I'm being honest...The beauty is that I now receive lovely feedback and praise for my work. Back then, just like the Waters lyrics proclaim, the 'Derision' was over-powering and had to be ignored if you wanted to succeed at your studies. Maybe that's where I got my stubborn streak and single mindedness from.

It's the way I’ve ring fenced my 'Happiness' and I often wonder if that’s how other folk get through too?

Just what is it that brings the ‘Happiness’, that people spend a lifetime searching for I ask? 

Money? Possessions? Cars? Drugs? Sex? - I’m convinced these are all short lived emotions.

Happiness comes more from achievement I believe and can only be earned and not bought. However, keeping on a 10,000 hour learning path to success, means undertaking an apprenticeship of massive commitment and total single-bloody-minded determination.

You have to be a VERY strong person indeed, if you want to succeed.

It's certainly not easy, I can vouch for that and I’m far from perfect. There's definitely some work in progress in my world that will still slowly change me, my outlook on the world and filter down through my work to my clients. To that end I’m making doubly sure that there’s no derision being poured on my parade.

Make sure it's not poured on yours either as you are a long-time dead. 400 years in Shakespeare's Case...

Rory Coleman - 975 Marathons - 241 Ultras

13 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records - 8145 Days' Alcohol Free.

Location: Malvern