ABSTRACT THURSDAY - UNREST AT THE A.O.G.

As I walked past the dressing rooms early this morning, from the raised voices I could hear, there was obviously some disquiet amongst several of the competitors - not only the snails - and it seemed to relate to the AOG Special Obstacle Race, due to take place tomorrow.  

I could hear several of the snails murmuring amongst themselves and it was obvious that they were not at all happy with the objects that were going to be used for the obstacle race.  I definitely heard Shaun, one of the new competitors who had come especially for this race, say that there was no way he would be able to crawl over these green spiky objects and he was all for going to speak to the referee in charge of props to give him a piece of his mind.  I was rather nervous about going into the dressing room because I could hear how angry they all were.

Sammy was trying desperately hard to calm them down, telling them that if they drank lots today and this evening, then they should produce enough slime to just be able to slither around the spikes.  Shaun was having none of it and started to shout at Sammy and anyone else who would listen - although from the sound of his raised voice, it would be hard not to hear him.  He was very angry.  He said that he hadn’t paid good money to enter these A.O.G. to find that they were putting obstacles in his way - and I then heard  Sebastian tell him that he wasn’t the only one who had paid good money and what else did he expect when it was a Special Obstacle Race and that there was a clue in the name of the race!

Susanna then tried to calm Shaun down by saying that perhaps he could go in the Alternative Obstacle Race, which might suit him better, but again, Shaun started shouting and saying that he had trained for the Special race and if he went home and told his Mum that he hadn’t even entered, then she would be very upset.  

By then, it was obvious that Sterling, Stuart, Sergio, Solomon and Siegfried were all jumping on the bandwagon and were shouting and saying that they were all for packing up and going home, but Sammy pleaded with them to reconsider.  He said that all they had seen was a pile of obstacles and that by the time they were spread out on the main course, it would be much easier for them to slither round and they wouldn’t need to actually go over the obstacles.  This seemed to pacify them and when I left, they were all drinking, just as Sammy had encouraged them to do.  

It’s amazing how when someone gets a “bee in their bonnet”, it soon incites others to join in and makes them angry too, but all it needs is someone else who is calm, serene and unflustered to diffuse the anger - and I don’t think this is only in the “snail world”!

“He who can suppress a moment’s anger 
     may prevent a day of sorrow.”
Tryon Edwards