Living in Limbo

For anyone who read my previous blog, I'm still sitting in the corner waiting for the bell to begin round 3!

For those who haven't read it .. then please read it and come right back, I'm not going anywhere.

In fact, that is pretty much my predicament - I don't seem to be going anywhere in a hurry right now. My job is in limbo while the powers that be decide my fate. It's a bit of an ordeal I suppose, but life goes on and the world still turns.

I've got a hot date with a paintbrush every night this week, as we continue to redecorate the house. With new flooring due in soon, there is an added sense of urgency to get it done. My wife is continuing to astound me with her application and dedication to the task, very much the Yin to my Yang ... and that's not a euphemism, gutter-dwellers.

A lot of people spend their hard-earned cash on nights out getting boozed and dancing in nightclubs, but I suggest there is a new way: stay home and decorate, get dizzy on paint fumes while listening to the radio! No need for a cab home afterwards either.

While I'm in this limbo waiting for my job to be sorted out one way or the other, I can't really plan anything. My wife and I are desperate for a family holiday somewhere, but we just can't do anything until we know whether I'm unemployed or secure for another few months. It's a predicament that sadly too many people are suffering right now, as the clouds gather over the economy and doom-mongers fill the media with their foreboding.

My answer to this is ... cricket.

Yes - that relatively gentle sport recently dragged into the crosshairs of terrorists in Pakistan, but still ultimately in my opinion a sport that is good for the soul. At the moment it is only net practices once a week until the season starts at the end of April, but already it has lifted me and given me a nice thrill of anticipation.

Cricket is undoubtedly an English sport in spirit (and in its archaic rules), yet people from all of the cricket-playing nations bring their own interpretation and approach. Everything about this diversity makes cricket a broadening and uplifting experience. From West Indian exuberance, Australian bravado, and Indian silky skills to Kiwi dibbly-dobbliness, it all makes for a fascinating mix and some very interesting contests.

My own local cricket team is primarily composed of Englishmen, with a smattering of Kiwi ingenuity and sub-continental wizardry. Our matches are all friendlies, usually 40 overs or "timed", depending on the preference of the opposition. Match days often bring a loyal following of friends and family, who provide invaluable moral support as well as organising the afternoon tea and drinks (for home games).

The atmosphere at these matches is always jovial, with a constant background noise of banter and bad puns. Combined with the edginess of a sporting contest at its heart, it is an enriching experience for everyone involved.

While the season is yet to start, the very anticipation of it starting soon is enough to banish the gloomy clouds about the world at large from my mind.

Even here in limbo.