IN LOVING TRIBUTE OF MR MAYO CHARLES MARRIOTT, BSC (HONS)

I’m very saddened to hear of his death today.

I was informed by Ms Jyoti Patel, one of the two welfare rights workers at the Brent Association of Disabled People (BADP) of his sad passing.

He was a good man who despite being left confined to a wheelchair with breathing apparatus - he had muscular dystrophy - he loved life and held regular workshops on positive thinking.

He was the London Borough of Brent’s representative regarding multiple sclerosis (MS).

When I had my first noted attack of demyelinating disease and realised this was going to lead to MS, I have to admit I panicked and simply couldn’t understand why.

But when I attended his last workshop, aimed at people who had muscular dystrophy and MS, held on a Sunday at the Willesden Centre for Health and Care, I realised the power of positive thinking.

It was then I also realised that remaining in a self-imposed exile in my home wasn’t helping anyone, especially me, myself and I.

It was then that, despite the nasty remarks and comments my family and I had received over the years, from neighbours, children and other adults who should of known better; I was ready to come of my parents’ home and seize life again, as I did before.

This picture below of Mayo; his smile isn’t just for the camera.

He really had a fixed smile on his face, every time he came to work at the BADP.

I assure you Mayo, everyone at the BADP misses you and hopes through us, your wonderful nectarine drops of and about life goes on.

So here’s to you Mayo, still wishing you the very best, now that your spirit is taking you to another place.

Love, light and peace

Andria

For more information about muscular dystrophy, click here.

PS, don’t hesitate to see some of my work by clicking here.

THIS IS DISGRACEFUL.

Like the Football Association in this country, I am shocked and appalled at the racist remarks said by some so-called fans of English Football.

Both Ashley Cole and Ashley Young must be as devastated as me when England crashed out of Euro 2012.

The one thing all three of us share is to be proud to call ourselves English and to have a passport saying we are members of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The FA is right to attack the racist remarks by these so-called fans, which is being displayed on Twitter.

Gone are the days when black footballers have to put up with bananas being thrown on the pitch when playing, thanks to diligent stewards, cameras and CRB safety officials who will spot such despicable people at English football matches.

But whether we want to admit it or not, this bad behaviour will only stop when we accept it is our responsibility to put our foot down and make it clear we will not associate ourselves with people who behave like this.

It’s unpatriotic, idiotic, crude and downright wrong to attack the Ashleys like this, especially since the tournament has moved on to the next stage – congratulations to Italy for getting through to the semi-finals as they were the better team.

We know England have never been good at penalties. There is Gareth Southgate, a man whose penalty was saved against Germany during the Euro 96, yet he is clearly doing well for himself.

There wasn’t any racist remarks said against him, only women willing to give their shoulder for him to cry on and no doubt more than that!

For anyone else who is foolish enough to believe what has been said against Mr Cole and Mr Young was harmless banter, here’s what sections 17, 18 and 19 of the UK's Public Order Act 1996 has to say about this:



Section 17. Meaning of racial hatred.

In this Part racial hatred means hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origins.

This explains acts intended or likely to stir up racial hatred


Section 18. Use of words or behaviour or display of written material.

(1 ) A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, is guilty of an offence if—

(a) he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or

(b) having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby.

(2) An offence under this section may be committed in a public or a private place, except that no offence is committed where the words or behaviour are used, or the written material is displayed, by a person inside a dwelling and are not heard or seen except by other persons in that or another dwelling.

(3) A constable may arrest without warrant anyone he reasonably suspects is committing an offence under this section.

(4) In proceedings for an offence under this section it is a defence for the accused to prove that he was inside a dwelling and had no reason to believe that the words or behaviour used, or the written material displayed, would be heard or seen by a person outside that or any other dwelling.


Section 19. Publishing or distributing written material.

(1) A person who publishes or distributes written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting is guilty of an offence if—

(a) he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or

(b) having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby.



Don’t forget to visit my other site by clicking here.

Light, Peace and Hairgrease (otherwise my hair would fall out, even when wearing extensions).

Andria

X.

So England is out!

Yes, the England Euro 2012 squad got shown the door on Sunday, 24th June, regarding this tournament.



The Italian press are tearing into this team’s defence.

But as I’ve learned in life, you must also be able to deal with failures in order to appreciate what success is.

Nevertheless, credit where it’s due.

Congratulations to Italy in being able to progress to the next stage of Euro 2012.

I’m keeping this brief, as I’m off to drown my sorrows with a tub of Häagen-Dazs Cookies and Cream.

Andria

X

WELCOME TO THE MS CLUB JACK OSBOURNE.

That’s one of the best things I can say to you, regarding this illness.

Your eating habits will have to change as you will find certain foods only flare up your condition.

In my case, it’s the humble tomato - tomatoes as it’s stated in the USA.

You will also have to know where the toilet is, wherever you go.

You will also be feeling annoyed that this illness has affected you.

This, I certainly know from my own experience.

You will also wonder, why now?

After living such an adventurous life, you may feel cheated, that it was wrong, considering all the people on this Earth - especially since there are so many unpleasant people out there - it was decided you should have this illness.

I was looking forward to having an ordinary life, which included getting married, having kids and getting a mortgage when I got this illness.

Needless to say, all my previous plans went straight out of the window!

I still remember the anger and bitterness I had when, at the Wembley Job Centre Plus, in north-west London, I screamed down the phone to a true gentleman, who was at the Belfast Benefit Delivery Centre, WHY ME?

He calmly replied: “you’ve got to deal with the cards life has sent you.”

He was right. Considering I called myself Miss Independent, I couldn’t see myself not being able to cook my own meals or being limited in what I can physically do.

I couldn’t think of a day when I couldn’t jog but now I can’t.

I still have a weakness for milk chocolate but because my body no longer allows me to join in other aerobics classes – apart from swimming - I now limit myself to one bar a week.

My friends, who have MS and are in a wheelchair, won’t even touch it.

It’s also tempting to get bitter, as I lost my job thanks to this illness - I can no longer touch type.

I also can’t cook my own meals and have to rely on take-aways or ready-made meals for one person, which I know are not healthy all the time but that’s the way it is for me.

But once you accept your condition, you will then see other opportunities in life and be thankful.

His mum, Sharon Osbourne, got it spot on when she talked about the importance of having a positive outlook in life, regarding multiple sclerosis.

There is no point in worrying over things you simply cannot change.

Considering the things his dad, Ozzy Osbourne has done with his past, it's tempting to think that the medics who diagnosed Jack's condition, got it wrong but that's simply not the case with MS.

So here’s wishing you dignity, happiness and the very best of everything in life, Mr Jack Osbourne.

Light and Peace

Andria.

X


PS don’t forget to visit my other site by clicking here.

I like this!

I was touched by what Alex O-C had to say about his role in the England football team.

It’s my belief that if you employ the right people, you can get a brilliant result.

Likewise, if you employ the wrong people, you will run dry.

This interview really says it the best.

Check it out by clicking here.

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I have to admit, like many people in the UK I was upset Mr Rio Ferdinand (Manchester Utd FC) wasn’t included in the England football squad.

Regardless as to who said what, I believe both Rio (being a former England captain) and the Chelsea FC and England skipper John Terry are men enough to call a truce on any grievances between them over Mr Ferdinand’s brother Anton (Queens Park Rangers FC) and realise what’s important here is national pride and achievement.

£££££££

Nevertheless, I was happy watching England play against France two days ago.

The result could have been better – let’s face it the French player Nasri, who scored and got the equaliser, got this result due to the sloppy England defence.

But we didn’t get beaten and I’m happy with the 1-1 result.

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Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner!

That I love London town!

In order to avoid any legal action regarding copyright law, I’m happy to say those words are from the musical My Fair Lady. Well city, as the rest of us know London to be.

I’m so proud to see West Ham FC get straight back into the Premier league.

We all know the longer you stay out, the harder it is to get back in this league.

Football clubs like Leeds and Millwall (who were regulated out of top flight football when the Premier league was started in 1991) are clear examples of this.

So when I saw my local club QPR avoiding the drop, I was tickled with happiness!

Looking at the success of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea winning the Champions League, all of this makes me proud that I live in a city that’s home to so much talent.

Go London!

Andria.

PS, don’t hesitate to check out my over site, by clicking here.

Life-changing power - it's free!

After the elation and joy I had in finally being declared solvent on 02 March this year. I would like to say how sorry I am for attacking others for upsetting me over the years. I also acknowledge that I too have hurt good people in my past.

I’d like to say how sorry I am for losing my cool and not seeing the pain I’ve caused to others, especially when I’ve been caught up in my own anger, which is when I didn’t notice the hurt others were experiencing because of me.

I won’t try and be clever and admit partial responsibility or make stupid excuses by saying others must take some of the blame for my actions.

I’m fully responsible for my actions and that is that.

I’ve been in situations when I was just about to eat a lovely cooked meal when, out of nowhere, a person who’s wronged me pops into my mind.

Just like that, the dinner is ruined before I’ve even started to eat.

That’s how I felt about a certain bank we all see on the high street, who falsely stated I had thousands of pounds stashed away with them in order to get the Debit Relief order (DRO) I was anointed with overturned.

Even after the date of the original DRO had surpassed, which meant they couldn’t bother me on payments included in the DRO (theirs was one of them) this high street bank was still hounding me for money I clearly didn’t have.

So far as this bank was concerned, they ignored the Payment Protection Insurance - PPI - attached to my loan, (for which I had paid extra money for) which was meant to cover me if an illness like Multiple Sclerosis should happen to me, which I now have, for reasons I cannot explain.

I’m big enough to come out and admit when I’ve made a mistake and know that holding onto anger is counter- productive for anyone who wants to live a happy life.

I enjoyed living in a luxury apartment when I called myself (proudly) Miss Independent, with a nice red car to boot.

Now I live with my parents and I have a Freedom Pass to get from A to Z.

When I told my previous landlord about my health, I asked if adaptations could be made to the unit I lived in, which they wouldn’t be paying for.

Within days of making this request, I was given notice to leave the premises immediately.

It felt like a swift kick had been made to my stomach but I’ve since realised this has happened to many who become disabled and once lived in private accommodation.

A few months ago, I wanted to join a private health club which had a heated swimming pool but got the excuses of having to get my doctor to vouch for me being able to swim, which she can’t as she has never been able to see me in water.

Again I had so much anger in me over receiving such treatment, knowing that if I was an able bodied person, this wouldn’t be an issue.

Chances are if, like me, such negative thoughts have crept into your mind, it’s happened to you more than once; when you’re going to bed, having a shower, etc. When this occurs, let’s face it, smiling or admitting to your mistakes is the least thing you want to do.

I’ve decided, there is only two solutions to such a dilemma; forgiveness and being woman enough to admit to my mistakes as without these two qualities, I can assure you, life will be full of bitterness, hatred and misery and that’s coming from experience!

That’s why I’m also saying sorry for all the hurt and pain I’ve caused over the years and accept there was no justification for my actions, no matter what.

The other painful reality, as mentioned earlier, that was causing the most hurt, was the misery I was putting myself through by rehashing such issues I couldn’t get over.

I’d let certain people torture me again and again and again over things I simply couldn’t change.

For years I couldn’t feel any pleasure or peace and believed the only way out of this misery is to make the people who have wronged me feel similar pain and embarrassment.

That’s the importance of forgiveness, as it was only when I did this that all the bitterness and rage flew out of me. I also saw the reasons why those people had done what they did to me and still feel compassion for them.

I haven’t contacted everyone I’ve hurt or who has hurt me – that’s my choice.

If I do my part, that’s okay, the rest is up to others to decide whether to forgive me or not.

I can hear some of you say, “You have no idea what he or she did to me” but the pain you’re carrying is the reason you’ve got to forgive and acknowledge your own mistakes in life.

You’re not saying what’s happened is right but you’re letting go of the hurt, pain and misery.

You’re also telling yourself it’s time to move on.

Sometimes, you need that second, third or fourth chance to move on and I truly hope I’ve been able to do this, for my own piece of mind.

Light and Peace

Andria

PS, don’t hesitate to visit my other site by clicking here! -

I'm on benefits but I'm no scrounger

Not everyone on benefits is a scrounger.

Of course, some abuse the system but there are investigators in the DWP who are catching them.

I have had enough. I am not a scrounger and this is why.

I am in the unenviable position of claiming Disability Living Allowance and Employment Support Allowance because I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

There are more than 300 forms of this long-term illness. There is no reason why a person gets MS.

Unfortunately there is no cure.

My body can’t fight off the cold weather any more, which is why rooms I enter in, including cars, have got to be well heated, even in the summer.

The pain in my body is constant. I cannot lift my niece, whose now just under seven years of age.

I cannot jog anymore, which is why I treasure my Race For Life t-shirt which I earned by participating in the one at Wembley Stadium in 2008.

This is also why I value my medal for running in Regent’s Park the year before, for Cancer Research.

When holding a drink in my hand, it’s got to have a lid on top or it must be half full – my sense of balance and co-ordination has gone awry.

I also have to use a walking stick to get by.

The only advantage I now have is in knowing my neighbours no longer tell my parents I’m drunk when they see me walking, which I still do for exercise.

All of these things people take for granted and I realise there must be thousands of people worse off than me.

When I found myself in the position where I had to claim because of MS, I was just as shocked as anyone else and now I’m disgusted at how I’m treated as a benefit claimant.

Try going for a job interview with my condition – I still believe nobody owes anyone a duty to give them a job.

I’ve had more than my fair share of people at first showing interest in me working for them then realising they are ignoring my calls.

Over the phone or by e-mail, I get one of two reactions without fail: “How much disruption is the MS going to cause if you get the job?”

Or the straight-forward one when I’m told: ”You need to be realistic, you’re an insurance liability.”

No matter what you are claiming or why, one is deemed and treated as a scrounging fraud until you prove otherwise.

I am not just talking about the Department for Work and Pensions but also the people I meet everywhere I go, every day.

The look of disgust as you meet someone new and get asked: "What do you do for a living?"

I see the expression on their face when I say I’m not working.

One former colleague, now working at a specialist branch of Reed employment, even said to me: “I’m surprised to see you here as I knew how much you like work".

Working for a living is food for my soul and I felt it justified my existence on this planet.

The same person also remembers I worked three days and nights straight and I did this more than once, as I was proud my body and mind allowed me to do this, so when MS came to me, I just couldn’t understand why.

As a result, I even hated God and wanted nothing to do with the man -yes he had to be one as no woman would do this to me.

I'm glad to say I no longer have this negative feeling and praise Him and his son for the blessings in each and every day.

Until I met up with the members of the Brent Association of Disabled people, who help people who are disabled to have a dignified life, I felt like a freak of nature.

Then when toying around on the Internet, I found out about The Shane Project, which focuses on ethnic people with MS, which finally eased my anger as I was still saying in my head, "why me?".

As far as I was concerned, God had no right in giving me this illness. I was so pleased at being a hard-working member of society.

Thankfully, meeting with members of this group, which introduced me to other people who are Afro-Caribbean with MS, changed this negative feeling.

On average, gas and electric costs £30-£40 a week depending on the season – yes the bills do still come in and they are higher for me as I have to be in an area with heat, as I mentioned earlier - and the reasons why.

Do I have any luxuries? Yes, I have a flat screen TV, bought by my mum a few years ago. Do we have a games console? The answer is no.

What little I have is bought and paid for - as once I've eaten and paid the bills there is never anything left.

Where I live, there is no dog racing track for me to spend my benefit money – Walthamstow in the east of London (I live in the north-west) was closed many years ago.

My budget is so tight that if an emergency crops up, like me being rushed to hospital because I’m passing out again, I have to take an ambulance as there is no other way to get me home from hospital.

I’ve collapsed down the stairs, which is why Brent Rehabilitation Services have installed a stairs banner in my parents home, who I now live with.

This is because I was thrown out of my rented flat when I asked for my landlord's permission to install a similar device - they will deny this, of course but many who used to rent privately when they were able-bodied will tell you a similar story.

When I go food shopping, it is worked out to the absolute penny. There can be no deviation as there is nothing to play with.

Before MS, I used to drive, which included paying road tax, car insurance costs, fuel prices and all the other benefits of having my own transportation – now I have to pay for a cab.

I haven’t been on holiday or even a weekend away for years, whereas I did this at least twice a year when I worked.

Living on benefits is degrading, depressing and there is no room for any luxury of any kind - ever. I wouldn't have had a Christmas dinner last year if it wasn't for my parents.

I spend my spare time helping people who also need help, at the Brent Association of Disabled People. I’ve also helped at the Tokynton church branch of Cricklewood Homeless Concern. I don’t go to the theatre anymore.

Going to the local gym isn’t plain sailing. Unless I arrive when the cleaner is on duty, the floor at the women's changing room at Bridge Park Community Centre is wet and dangerous, which also means my walking stick is ineffective.

I’ve complained about the water and the need for staff to check the changing rooms but nothing gets done.

Even the disabled toilet is used by people wanting to wash out hair dye.

I'm not lazy, so I cannot keep quiet when I read the nonsense being published about benefit claimants.

Yes there are fraudsters out there, I know this first hand as I once worked as an audio typist for a company that has a contract with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which interviewed benefits cheats and sometimes I had to transcribe the fourth tape on the same person before they admitted there wrongdoing.

So to all those who think I'm a lazy, talentless, fraudulent scrounger, I'll say this. You’ve got to deal with the cards life has sent you.

I didn’t and wouldn’t choose to be disabled – I liked being an active person who seized the day and had full optimum health.

I avoided alcohol and spicy foods. The gym was my second home.

The next time you meet someone who is on Disability Living Allowance, or claiming benefits in some other way, ask yourself if you really are picking on them because they are a nice, easy target.

This isn't living or a lifestyle choice, it is surviving.

Andria

PS, since I do want to work - I assure you I don't bite, I just have MS - please don’t hesitate to view my other site by clicking here.