Eye Don't Believe It

Cast your minds back to my Blip of 20th June 2024.  It reveals that I hadn’t driven for about six months as my eyesight had degraded.  However, I had a procedure in the Balfour Hospital which restored my eyesight, it was literally revelatory.  I felt truly humbled, said cheerio to the consultant and thanked her, very inadequately.  After two weeks I felt I had to thank the said consultant.  I contacted the Inverness Hospital (where the Ophthalmology Dept is based) and asked if I could post something to them.  I had just heard a good review of a book on radio, bought a copy, and posted it to the consultant.  I still felt it was inadequate, more of a token.  A few weeks later the phone rang; as is demanded I picked it up, then I answered it.  It was the very same Eye Consultant thanking me profusely, as it turned out she was an avid reader.
 
On to today, which started off damp, but somehow became azure.  Another gig.  Yet more accordions. On arriving at the gig (a venue I’d never been to) CMC, and her accordion coterie, confirmed reservations / got food and spoke to folk.  Much to my amazement my pal Wullie was present; telling me that the morn he is sailing across to the Baltic Sea.  CMC telt me to sit at a certain table.  There was a lady on her own at the table, I cleared with her that apparently my line manager had arranged for another five folk to join her.  By women’s intuition she had worked this out.  When CMC sat down (and I went back to speak to Wullie) she made small talk with the lady (they didn’t put it under a microscope – I mean who carries a microscope to a gig?).  Unbeknown to me CMC established that the lady-at-the-table was an eye surgeon.  She explained how I had previously struggled with the eyesight.  When I returned from my male bonding the lady asked what procedures I’d had.  I took a chance and asked her if she had enjoyed the book.  ( I didn’t recognise her as a) I couldn’t see at the time and b) my eye was fully of liquid anaesthetic).  She recommended a few books to me (which I’ actually read) then she topped it off with the Book of Coincidences.  She threw in a conversation stopper when she indicated that three days previously she’d climbed the Old Man of Hoy.  After a bit of light banter about flaneurs she left with a list of recommended books.  She was brought up in Dublin but speaks Swahili (and six other languages).  Despite being a polymath (where do they come from?) she never knew that oystercatchers go to Knit and Natter.  You see, you’re none the wiser.