Get it right next time - Gerry Rafferty

Lyrics:- ‘There's so much of this life of mine that I don't understand’ – Rafferty

Song Choice:- It’s such a shame that ‘troubled’ Gerry Rafferty is no longer with us, and sadly the dreaded booze finished him off at the relatively young age of just 63. ‘Right next time’ and ‘Baker Street’ are firm favourites of mine, and still the mainstay of many ‘Soft-Rock’ channels Stateside. The lyrics speak volumes perhaps on his attitude to alcohol and the music industry in general and are the theme of my blog post today.

‘You shouldn't worry I said that ain't no crime -

Cause if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time’.

I’ve always feel like this when things go wrong or I get things wrong (that’s quite often and I’ll freely admit to that). You see we live in a very imperfect world and in our own 'Micro-world's' there are often things that feel like mountains but are in fact mini-mole hills. I was extremely cheesed off on Friday for instance  after running two miles in just over thirty minutes being overtaken by pedestrians and the odd snail, blowing like a 60-a-day smoker. It felt like the end of my running world, but it didn’t matter as the following day I managed six miles in exactly 61 minutes and felt great. Talk about getting it right next time!

‘You need direction, yeah you need a name -

When you're standing in the crossroads every highway looks the same’.

Whether my 'Super-Run' down to ‘attitude’ or ‘biology’, who knows… I do know that exactly 365 days ago, I walked just 49 steps with a ‘Zimmer-frame’ and spent the day sat down, either in a Wheelchair or an Armchair needing help to eat, drink and clean my pants. I didn’t know I was even at a crossroads, let alone knowing if they all looked the same.

‘After a while you can recognise the signs -

So if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time’.

Beating yourself up about making mistakes is such a waste of time and energy – learning from them so you don’t mess up again – vital. Recognising the signs, well that’s the tough part. We do tend to close our eyes a lot of the time and hope that things will go away or improve of their own accord and of course, miracles like that, just don’t happen. Done it myself only too many times to remember…

‘Life is a liar yeah life is a cheat -

It'll lead you on and pull the ground from underneath your feet’.

And yes, I’ve felt cheated this past year but also grateful as things could have been a lot worse for me and for my family. There is always the proverbial slap in the face when things seem to be going perfectly but then ‘That’s Life’ isn’t it and rolling with the punches on ‘Life’s Merry-Go-Round’ is all part of the game I’ve found.

‘No use complainin', don't you worry, don't you whine -

Cause if you get it wrong you'll get it right next time, next time’.

I never complain and maybe that’s why I just don’t accept the ‘Tinnitus of Complaining'. A lot of the time 'WE' get it ‘Wrong’ as a result of our own shortcomings. Don’t even get me started on FaceBook’s Failure Enablers, I saw some beauties over the weekend BTW. More ‘Try Harder’, ‘Train Better’ and ‘Don’t give in you softy’ would be far better rhetoric IMO I would say…

Then folk, including me will - GET IT RIGHT NEXT TIME… Thanks Gerry Rafferty RIP.

Rory Coleman - 994 Marathons - 244 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables

9 Guinness World Records - 8,566 Days' Alcohol Free - 415 Days' post GBS

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location:- Cardiff, Wales