In which: Love Life

In the very early hours of this morning this playing card was signed by Jake Shillingford of the band My Life Story. You might not know them because they were a 90s band and didn't get huge recognition. However, they were the band I lived for. If they played somewhere that I could get to I'd be there. I lived in York but would think nothing of going down to Camden on a Sunday night to watch them play and then getting up at 5am to be back in York for work. They split up in the late 90s and have been doing reunion gigs for the past 10 years. Last night was the Last Hurrah though - their final incarnation as the whole band: all 14 of them with strings, brass, cellist, flautist, the lot. I stayed for the acoustic set afterwards and then finally hugged Jake and got to say thanks to him for the 20 years of joy that band has brought me. My final memento is this signed card thrown out during the King of Kissingdom and signed by Jake afterwards.

He says to 'love life'. It took me 41 years but the last year of my life has been the most happy, calm, secure and settled I've ever been. I never knew I could be this lucky and I know exactly who to thank for how much I love life these days. Thank you.