First Class - And Hold The Train!!

  Did you ever have an experience where you knew that everything appeared to be going right?

  I have noticed lately that since I gained more insight into my life and what had been setting me back that a series of things have happened that appear to indicate that I am on the right track. Over the past week it appears that all of my train connections are working out perfectly.

  I arrived at the station last week and the train pulled up. There was no way that I would be able to buy a ticket in time and get on it so I relaxed. I even had a chat for a few minutes with the ticket officer about my best route options. A few minutes later I walked onto the platform to find people standing at the doors, anxiously looking to see what the hold-up was. I have no idea what held that train up but what I do know is that seconds after me boarding it the doors closed and off we went. I hadn't even registered that the train had been waiting at the platform all this time.

  This could be seen as just plain luck (I tend to be lucky a lot of the time). A few days later I saw a train pull up and I had been playing football. I wanted to get home and it looked unlikely that I would catch the train. I ran but just as I made my way down the steps to the platform the doors closed and it looked like I'd missed my chance. As I stood on the platform contemplating a half hour wait in my football kit, I was informed that one of the doors had inexplicably stuck. A member of staff had to walk up the platform and shut in manually, mentioning to me that I would be able to board the train.

  The last train I caught was delayed by over 40 minutes. However, I arrived 39 minutes after it was supposed to arrive and watched it pull up as I walked down to the platform. This was the third incident in under a week of delays working to my advantage - so I now feel compelled to write about it!

  Another phenomenon that I have noticed on my local train service (First Capital Connect) is that there is a First Class Section on the trains that is strangely abandoned most of the time. I usually head straight for the first class cabin and find that I am frequently the only passenger on it, even when the train is busy. 

  I find it quite incredible how most people look at the carriage and turn away. I have never paid any extra for my ticket and never been questioned about sitting in first class. Furthermore, I'm not even sure if I should be paying any extra. It just so happens that I am paying significantly less!

  I had a friend come to stay with me a couple of weeks ago and she was upset that she'd lost her Network Rail Card. I didn't even know what it was. She explained that it gave her a third off all fares as long as they were over £10. I'd never even heard of such a card. Since I had been paying almost £15 for an off-peak travelcard into London and over £20 for a peak travelcard, I now pay only £10, or £14, instead of £15 or £21. 

  If she had not lost her card, I would still not know about the benefits of a network railcard. It only cost me £20 and I have already saved almost double that in the first 2 weeks - and it's valid for a year.

  My connections have all been smooth, my timings have been great, even delays are working perfectly to my advantage and the people that I have been meeting lately have been sending positive energy my way in abundance. 

  What has happened to me this week Luck? Positive state of mind? Divine intervention? All of the above? I don't know - but I like it!

  

Another Day in the Life of an Icon

  Being an individual who likes to walk and bring a smile or two to the faces of those around me, I'm always looking to do so. As I have a local event starting off in my home village of Shenley, in Hertfordshire, I decided to deliver a few flyers and let a few people know what I'm doing - dressed as Santa.

  Having never done any door to door deliveries since a paper round when I was 10, this was always going to be an interesting affair. Since over half of the houses that I went to were empty it was a bit of a lottery. 

  Some mothers were in, with their small children, and that provided plenty of smiles all around. I also received a few worried looks - after all, I'm sure that it's not every day that Santa turns up on their doorstep telling them about a wellbeing event at the local village hall. It was particularly ironic for those houses with the "Santa, please stop here" signs planted outside numerous front doors - be careful what you ask for!

  For the most part I received very friendly responses and had some great chats. Of course, one group of teenage chaps were not so reciprocal as I wished them a merry Christmas, responding with "Santa - you w****r!" Even this brought a smile to my face as the ghost of Christmas past came back to visit - I was no angel as a teenager either!

  Everyone else who I came across walking gave me a warm smile and drivers would beep horns and wave at me as the passed by. So, all-in-all it was a wonderful day out. I've connected with the local community in a way that it hadn't dawned on me to do before, I've spread a bit of Christmas cheer and I've let a few people know what I do. 

  It's been a simple lesson in the power of Santa, connecting, walking and staying positive - for it's always the most potentially negative experiences that result in the funniest tales. Just ask any Fawlty Towers fan.