Duality

Whenever I write prose, I always aim to contrast two themes against each other. I believe this gives the text a fresh level of meaning that goes beyond what the plot merely states. To every Jekyll, there is a mister Hyde – but duality is also relevant to real life. Who would have thought that doctor from Great Ormond Street hospital would face allegations for child abuse? Heart specialist Phillip Bonhoeffer’s case was dropped last week owing to a legal loophole. Duality presents the reader with a new dimension that, most importantly, makes the story authentic.

The reason for this is obvious – nothing in life is perfect. We approach everything in life with a degree of ambivalence. On one level, with everything we do, we have to make a decision: Should I get up or have a lie in? Wear these clothes or not? Wash the dishes now or do it later? But it goes deeper than this.

Whenever we have a great day and reflect upon it, it’s never truly one hundred percent perfect. I remember spending time with my dad in Athens. We would argue on the beach, but would soon get over it and enjoy ourselves playing cards later. In football, you must share the thrill of victory with the occasional loss.

Today, through determination and effort, we managed to make the most of the day that could have turned out very differently.  Only Jess joined me to Stonehenge in weather that shone dully over Salisbury Plains. We got lost in Amesbury and had to navigate through road works to finally arrive. I got out and instantly realised one thing – there were coaches, tourists and cameras, but no dogs. They weren't allowed near the monument. Either I had to see it on my own or we had to move on. For Jess, Stonehenge couldn’t have been further away.

However, we refused to give up go home. We drove on to Warminster where I used to go to school- the weather improved and, on the off chance, managed to meet up with an old mate, James. We enjoyed a walk around the school grounds and a good catch up. It surprised me how much things have changed with people from my old year but mainly, it was good to talk with someone who was in a very similar position to me in life.

In retrospect, I feel annoyed because I almost gave up early on in the day. But I moved on and had a memorable day out. It has proven to me how life is equally measured in good and bad.

This evening, Manchester City lost to Liverpool in a three goal rout. City didn’t turn up and suffered from complacency throughout the match. Upon being substituted, James Milner threw a tantrum at blues manager, Roberto Mancini. Next Saturday, City play in a season defining match at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United. As with me today, I believe that City need to move on and work even harder towards their goal. Eventually, they will achieve it through determination and hard work. In such a high stakes match, they must never give up, even if the odds are stacked against them.