It's not geographical...it's a state of mind

I know Nik has already blogged about this, but I can't let today go by without a bit of reminiscing.

Three years ago today I set out with trepidation on a journey that, in so many ways, has brought me to where I am today. It was a Sunday, and a number of times I wondered what the hell I was doing, going to York Station to meet a bunch of strangers, to travel to Middlesbrough to watch a Christmas Lights switch on. Yes, three years ago it was ‘Boro Lights, and the beginning of the Northern Division. A day of glitter, fake snow, Brian Clough and ‘Oh, My, God, he’s got his guitar!’

So many ‘if’s’. If I hadn’t gone that day, and met Corinne, Nik, Ali and Shona*, I would never have gone to Harlow, if I hadn’t gone to Harlow, it wouldn’t have made pretty much everything else seem sane by comparison, and I doubt I’d have gone to London to see Griffin light a candle in Trafalgar Square. If the fledgling ND hadn’t created the Radio Tour, I’d never have done the second epic tour. If people on that tour hadn’t kept giving Al gifts for James, we’d never have decided to go an see James when he came to York, and give him things for Al***. If we’d not gone to see James, we wouldn’t have been totally charmed by him, and decided to go to Eurovision. If James hadn’t have gone into JCS a whole other story wouldn’t have developed, and I wouldn’t have seen the show 21 times, and got very drunk with actors. And, to come full circle if I hadn’t got back my taste for musical theatre, I quite probably wouldn’t have been to see Wicked last Saturday. Everything connects.

So, if I’d not done any of these things, and met that very special bunch of wonderful, crazy people, known as the ND, I wouldn’t be the same person that I am today. And, you know what, I don’t think I’d change a bit of it.

Happy Third Anniversary ND

*I didn’t actually meet Cat that day, even though we were standing just a few people apart, that came two weeks later at our first AGM.
**Not that we did – he was just too lovely