A Big Day

It's been quite a while since I've had the inclination to compile anything more than superficial thoughts on this blog. It's all got a bit boring really, but I've wanted to keep writing an entry each day anyway, just to complete the record. This is a wonderful, crazy and ridiculously hectic time of my life, and it will be fun to look back on this written narrative. Days disappear into weeks and then into months. It's good to get some vague feel for where all that time goes. I know everyone seems to experience this acceleration of the passage of time with each passing year, but I feel it's getting up to a ridiculously dizzying speed in my case. Making some notes at least serves to place little markers down. When I've been under too much pressure to write an entry for a few nights I've been amazed at how difficult it's been to remember where those days went.

That is a preamble before declaring that today is actually a very special day, although, oddly, it hasn't really felt particularly special - probably because I'm just too damn tired to appreciate the significance. I caught the train to London this morning (I'm writing this on the last leg of the journey back in the early evening) to sign a contract with the Health Protection Agency to deploy my software across the country over the next 18 months. It's been a long and rather painful negotiation, much of which, fortunately, I've been able to leave in the hands of my business partner. But the deal is done now and with a contract finally in place we can start to recruit some good people to share the workload. That will actually make life a bit harder before it starts to get easier, but it's a process that we have to go through. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel ... and for once it's not an oncoming train! At least I hope not!!

Despite all the pressures and the inevitable long hours ahead, I'm looking forward to developing the application further and working with the users (public health consultants and nurses mainly) to create a tool that they will enjoy using and which will help them in their job. That's a real motivation for me. This contract should bring some financial security, which will be very welcome (after 30 years without having any at all), but if I look deep inside myself, I cannot see the remunerative aspect as being much of a driver. I relish most this opportunity that I've been given to do something of just a little significance in the world, and do it really, really well. That's a privilege and it's what truly drives me when I'm struggling against tiredness during the late nights. So, if you are unfortunate enough to contract a nasty infectious disease, it is more than likely that your case will be recorded and managed using my software. God help you!!

I've still got loads to do tonight in preparation for training the Dutch people next week and configuring the software for their needs. Then tomorrow I'm flying out to Prague with M and a few other local runners for the World Masters. I've got to the point where I really don't care too much about performance on the day. I'm just looking forward to a great mini-adventure with lots of food and drink and lively banter. And, best of all, no computer. I fully intend to be off-line until Tuesday.