Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

‘My happiest hours are spent with three or four old friends in old clothes tramping together and putting up in small pubs — or else sitting up till the small hours in someone’s college rooms, talking nonsense, poetry, theology, metaphysics over beer, tea and pipes.’

…words attributed to C.S. Lewis …meeting with J.R.R. Tolkien and the group of writer friends known as Inklings. ‘Old friends in old clothes in small pubs’ is an ordinary image I’m familiar with. Their conversation would have been extraordinary.

Two months ago, Norwich were at the bottom of the league. Very ordinary players, playing with no confidence, losing regularly.

Phillippe Clement was appointed as head coach. Things started to change – confidence, consistency, determination… Last night Norwich City beat league leaders Coventry 2-1… their fourth consecutive victory.

After the match Clement said: ‘I want more. I hope this creates, for everybody in the building, more hunger and more belief.’ He’s in the process of creating the extraordinary for what seemed to be ordinary.

On Sunday I went to watch and hear ‘Jon and Matt’. Both are excellent guitarists, they sing well and they entertained with old songs that many sung along to.

In 1986 we moved to Lowestoft; I was teaching at Bungay. I started a guitar group, basic chords, plinky-plonky stuff. Jon, who was probably 10, joined the group. He could already play a bit. Within a term he was better than me!

Jon’s been a professional musician for many years now – recording, teaching, performing. From an ordinary guitar teacher came an extraordinary musician.

My latest grandad joke:

‘You’ve lost weight… Why are you wearing that loaf of bread on your head?’

‘I’m on a loaf hat (low fat) diet’.

The transformation of an extraordinary diet!

Musing… the ordinary becoming extraordinary… C.S. Lewis’ inspirational… Philippe Clement’s process… Jon making it personal… and the bonkers diet.

…And Jesus who made, and still makes, the ordinary extraordinary – inspirationally… as a process… personally… and sometimes just a bit bonkers.