Faulty Hardware

I've recently lost my voice. I could have seen it coming, the late nights the early mornings and the larges amounts of coffee and alcohol. I am pretty sensitive to the health of my body, the state of my mind. All the signs were not good, but I ignored them and I ignored them for a reason.

Maybe I'm perverse but there is something comforting about getting ill or getting hurt. I don't mean getting pneumnonia or breaking a leg, I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But losing your voice or getting a black eye is great for the sympathetic attention you get from your friends, neighbours, work colleagues and shopkeepers.

Instead of the dayin dayout 'how are you - I am fine' relationships shift and whole new scenarios open up. You get the advice, the tales of similar illnesses. People become curious about how it happened (no-one ever believes you can get a black eye from a surf board). You can amuse even the snottiest bartender, especially if your voice resembles a sealion.

But sometimes it does get to a point when you resent getting better. The black eye fades, the voice gets stronger and you wonder whether strangers will find you interesting anymore...