- People call me Bear. It's not my birth certificate name, but I've kind of settled into it over the years, and it's better than some of the other things I've been called.
- I did about 30 years in the photographic retail industry. Started as a junior/tea boy in a specialist shop (in which I'd later manage the whole chain), then later sales manager for one of the top photographic equipment brands that is sadly no longer with us.
- While working for them I was diagnosed with MS. They promised support, but a year after I suddenly found myself being made redundant. Then after a few more sales jobs over the next few years I had a stroke. During my convalescence my wife and I decided that I'd not return to work, so I could concentrate on getting myself sorted and recovered as best I could.
- Since then I've been house husband and dog walker, and I am doing some freelance holiday property management - organising the listings and bookings calendars, communicating with guests etc., mainly from home.
- I could never concentrate on anything long enough to be very deeply into any particular hobby. I like being out in the landscape or the garden and watching wildlife, and I enjoy some cycling. I love music but I rarely get lyrics or remember track names and artists. I get occasional intense interests, but quite quickly forget a lot of what I learned about them. Since the stroke, I do find it hard to retain stuff in memory at all. I can remember the registration numbers of all the cars my Dad owned when we were growing up though. Odd.
- Only recently have I realised that I probably have, and always have had, ADHD. That has lead me to investigate possible Autism traits too, but I am undecided. I've done a couple of online tests which gave me some results showing it as a high probability, but not seen anyone professional about either thing.
- o4fs is just like the well known text speak 'ffs', except it's Oh, 4 (for) fs'. A sort of exasperated expression that applies to either the world and how it's going, or to me and my participation in it.
Obviously this is a bit of a joke, because I am of course a happy and contented soul all the time.
