How to X-Ray a Horse

I’m determined not to start this post with the words ‘ I am’ or ‘My name is’, which I guess I’ve succeeded in doing, but in the process of so doing I’ve also expressed something pretty fundamental to my character. My head is a challenge factory: see my last post, Driving Miss Lazy, to give you an idea. I also spent a week last year on an audio fast, where I didn’t deliberately listen to any sounds or music for a week (it was actually really, really lovely).

I am not bonkers, but I like small challenges. Not skydiving or basejumping or visiting every continent in a day, but litte acts of boundary pushing. I teach English which gives me a perfect arena to test myself and I enjoy my job a lot, but in other ways, life has levelled itself out over the past year or so. Before teaching I worked as a hand model, an actor, a charity fundraiser, a stunt double. I’ve produced documentaries and once had to watch and log hours of tape from DEFRA on such edifying subjects as the humane slaughter of sheep and how to X-Ray a horse. I’ve been a bingo-caller and a baby – gym instructor and the MC at a feminist cabaret. The tiny challenges that I give myself now help me to reclaim some of the thrills of yesteryear.

Don’t tell anyone, but I’d love to write all day long, but in reality I rarely give myself the even half an hour to jot down some thoughts. So this could be my biggest challenge yet …to write every day for thirty days.

And if I fail to do it, I will rewatch the horse X-rays as penance.