My strange but (mostly) enjoyable Odyssey

For those of you who follow my sometimes strange and hopefully enjoyable Odyssey, today's events may seem like a microcosm of my life as a whole.

Here is the event I was going to.

But here is the event that was actually taking place.

If you read very closely, you will see that the first link gives today's date - June 8th, whereas the second link gives the date July 8th. (The pages may be changed by the time you read them, of course).

Somehow - entirely my own fault, I am sure, I copied the date from the literature network web page into my diary. So, people of Hadfield, when I turn up in exactly one month from now, you will know how much I value you, because I will have done the drive twice.

Yes, this sort of thing happens to dyslexics. If you read the usual dyslexia check-list - which coincidentally I found myself browsing as I sat in my car outside the closed library - you will see that one of the important signs of dyslexia is: "Mixing up dates and times and turning up for events on the wrong day."

The worst thing about turning up for an event on a month early it is that it causes embarrassment to other people. "You didn't drive all that way did you? I am so sorry for you!" But I decided years ago to embrace this aspect of who I am with open arms. If I find myself in this situation, make the most of it.

Which today I did. The drive was beautiful and surprisingly calming. I arrived relaxed, sat in the car and came up with some excellent ideas which I think are going to be extremely useful. Among them are a series of excellent title possibilities for a movie idea that I have been working on with a couple of people (a project I have not said much about on here). Then I enjoyed the mountainous views on the way back.

In today's situation my philosophy works. The problem comes when I get something wrong the other way around - as I did last Saturday. I got mixed up with the times and dates and did not realise I should be giving a class. This is what I really regret. To be honest, I have done it so many times over the years that I am emotionally sensitized. When I realised - after it was too late - I was very distressed. I still am. I hate letting people down.

What should I so about this - I really don't know. Encourage people to send me a reminder a couple of days before? Try to make it up to people by offering them something by way of compensation? Probably all of the above.

And try to lighten up about it. It shouldn't reduce me to tears.