The Mission – Page 3 – Iain Douglas Stewart

Taking another year off

By Iain 16 September 2020Reflections, The MissionNo Comments

I'm finding myself in that situation again this academic year, mainly thanks to coronavirus this time around rather than financial worries. But this time, I can see it coming, and I won't lose focus. I won't waste this year. I've got things I need to do to be ready for starting the level 4 counselling course next September. See, after…

Reflecting on ending self-isolation

By Iain 24 June 2020Physicality, Reflections, The Mission, VideogamesNo Comments

This Coronavirus thing has been a bit shit, eh? I'm due to go back to work next week, and I have mixed emotions about it. On the one hand, I hate my current job, and these twelve weeks have been eye-opening to exactly how much I do hate it. I'm anxious to go back because of the health risks as…

Self-isolation, quarantine, whatever this limbo is; week seven

By Iain 6 May 2020Creativity, Physicality, Reflections, Site Related, The MissionNo Comments

Time is strange at the moment. It goes fast, but feels slow. Days take ages, but are over before you know it. This strange coronavirus limbo is warping things. It's so quiet outside, it's unreal. Eerie. Spooky. It feels like the entire world has been paused. I didn't get a rowing machine in the end, I'm ashamed to say the…

Self-isolation, week four

By Iain 14 April 2020Internet, Music, Reflections, The MissionNo Comments

It reminds me of when I was unemployed, having all this free time. But it's weird - instead of bumming around playing videogames all day and moderating meaningless internet forums, this time I am spending my time improving my situation. I asked Twitter when the lockdown first started if this crisis brought anyone's mortality into sharp focus. It did mine.…

Three years ago, today

By Iain 10 February 2020Books, Reflections, The MissionNo Comments

Or yesterday, I forget. Whichever day it was, three years ago I was going to kill myself. I've come a long way, baby. Far enough? Not yet. We still have a ways to go. But still, considering the progress that I have made, it's unreal. Compare the person I was back then to the person I am now and I…

The “Lewis becoming an adult” thing

By Iain 6 February 2020Reflections, Site Related, The Mission, VideogamesNo Comments

This is going to be hard to write without sounding jaded, or bitter, but I'm going to try. My nephew, Lewis, turned 18 recently. He's Jane's sister's first-born, and I've known him all his life. I don't know where to start with how I feel about my perspective on all this, so forgive me if it seems disjointed. So, as…

From Ramblings, to Reflections

By Iain 30 October 2019Reflections, Site Related, The MissionNo Comments

I'm changing "Ramblings" to "Reflections". It's not often I make changes or additions to the structure of the blog, but this seems right. Language is fascinating, and this is an example of how the language you choose to use defines you. You see, "Ramblings" gives the impression of me waffling on about nothing in particular. This is not something I…

First driving lesson

By Iain 30 September 2019Reflections, The MissionNo Comments

I had my first official driving lesson today, it went well. I was nervous as hell, and on the one hand I was not at all sure I could do it... But on the other hand, I drove a car. Just up and down a road, nothing major. But I drove it. And I'm proud of myself. I even reversed…

So I took a year off, from everything

By Iain 9 September 2019Creativity, Reflections, Site Related, The Mission, VideogamesNo Comments

I mean, it was mostly not through choice. We needed to make sure we would make it through the year financially. Sure, an exotic cat was added to the family in 2019, but other than that, we were careful. Frugal. Thing is, I got lazy and complacent. I found the smallest possible reason to take a year off from personal…

Slacking

By Iain 13 November 2018The MissionNo Comments

I finished my level 2 Counselling Skills course back in August, but I couldn't take the assessment because we had already booked to go on holiday. I went in to college and took it last night, and it felt great to be back in a learning environment. Being driven to college in a taxi in the dark, the smell of…