The importance of record-keeping.

**WARNING: THIS POST MAY INCLUDE SENTENCES SOME READERS MAY FIND UPSETTING**

You might have to bear with me a little on this one.  What I’m about to type does eventually tie in to betting, you’ll see…

So there I was, playing in a T20 Cup cricket match against local rivals Alderley Edge.  I’m fielding at what, for those of you of a cricketing bent, will know as short extra cover.  Because it’s T20, we’re playing with a hard, lacquered pink ball.

The batsman wellies it.  In a heroic attempt at a stop, I throw myself full length to my right and manage to get a hand to the ball.  Dumb.  As I stand up, I see blood; quite a lot of it, coming from my hand.

Well that’s not going to stop me (although it did, shortly), I’m thinking.  Calling for a tissue or something to put around my hand, I wipe the red stuff away and bowl the next over.  Got to admit, it is bleeding quite a lot.  At the end of the over, a teammate and Paramedic comes over to have a look, tells me I’m a “wally” (insert stronger word) and that I need to go to hospital.

So I do.  Nurse looks at it, cleans it out, and tells me I may need surgery!  As it turns out I don’t, stitches will do the trick.  No anaesthetic because of where the cut is, and all they could offer was gas and air.  No chance of that, I’m not bloody pregnant!

Anyway, grit the old teeth as she’s sewing my hand up, and rewarded when she tells me I’m a model patient (which appeals to my ego as she’s quite attractive)!  Ego melts into embarrassment when near the end of the stitching I nearly faint and have to lie down on the examination couch for five minutes.  The attractive Nurse looks disappointed…not the model patient after all, just another wimp.

So what has this all got to do with betting?  Well, nothing in a direct sense, but in an indirect sense, it’s had a real knock on effect.

Since the injury I’ve been able to type, albeit with some discomfort, but I’ve not been able to write.  The cut is exactly where the pen rests and with the hand bandaged up anyway, I can’t even hold the pen, never mind use it.

Trouble is, I STILL (and this is where some readers may get upset -I did warn you at the top!) write down all of my results.  Each and every one of them.  It’s how I keep my records.

There, I’ve said it.  Yep, that’s right.  I still use a pen and paper to record my betting results.

I know, I know.  You think less of me, but this is my ‘coming out’ moment.  I need understanding and patience.  I need support.  (Actually, I think I need my head examined, but there we go).

After the initial feelings of guilt I had about this sensitive issue, I’ve reached a point where I thought, ‘Sod it’.  You know what – writing down my results works for me.  So I’m going to ask you a question now.  What do you use to record YOUR betting results?  You do record them, don’t you?

DON’T YOU???

Please tell me you do.  I really don’t care if you use the most amazing spreadsheet, pen and paper, or papyrus and the blood of a snake…you must record your results.  It’s imperative, and I still talk to a lot of people who don’t (hence this post).

And I’ll leave you with this thought…  I’ve not been able to record my results for a week, not efficiently anyway.  A week, and already I’m feeling out of control and out of my comfort zone because I don’t know where I am.  I’ve an idea obviously, but not knowing specifically is something I really don’t like.  The reason I don’t like it is because I know how important it is to know exactly where you stand, all the time.

Right – stitches out today and records brought up to date tomorrow, I hope.

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