Personal posts are few and far between here. Posts exclusively about me are even less frequent. Today, though, marks five years to the day since, after dealing with some obstinate moron as part of the non-writing job I had at the time, I got on the running machine for some stress-relieving exercise, and promptly had a heart attack.
There are moments in your life when everything changes. I can think of several events that have catapulted me in a completely different direction: the day Lisa and I got together, the birth of our children, the day I received an email from someone in Hollywood asking if the film rights to HATER were available… Of all these seismic shifts, though, my heart attack and its repercussions was, perhaps, the most unexpected of all. It’s not just because it was such a bolt out of the blue – which it definitely was for a bloke under 50 who kept himself in good shape – more so because the ramifications were immense. It got me out of a rut and set me back on the right path. It brought me closer to the people in my life who matter most, and made me realise what an incredible family I have. It made me think about my health and lifestyle in a whole new way. It set off a chain of events that resulted in me being able to write full time again, and to write things that are (in my very biased and not so humble opinion) some of the best stuff I’ve ever written.
Last August I posted about a trip to Hiroshima and Nagasaki my wife and I made in November 2023. As I said at the time, I was struck by the beauty of those two cities and the warmth and hospitality shown to visitors by the people who live there. I still find it hard to believe that these places that experienced the absolute worst attacks imaginable could, over time, become so welcoming, comfortable, and full of love. My feelings about my heart attack are similar: after peering into the abyss and being forced to confront my own mortality and reconsider my place in the world, my life is now the best it’s ever been. I’m in good health, and am able to do the things I want to do, with the people I want to do them with. That point alone justifies this post.
Thanks to Lisa, our girls, and all our friends and family for your love and support.
