Sleeping

I often wish I could properly hibernate, at this time of year.

Someone else is hibernating, in medical hibernation; someone who had a significant influence on my life, indirectly and quite by accident, mainly in the late 90's. A career full of joy, embarrassment, passion, surprise, beauty, and unintentional humour.

Dear Michael Schumacher, I loved your Annoying Personality, your obliviousness to the requirements of polite British hypocrisy, your ruthless destruction of the ordinary, your failure to recognise fear even when it hit you like a brick at 200mph. I remember meeting a rocket scientist who told me that he'd been at  Barcelona '96, and that there were millions of snails crossing the track as you quivered like a dragonfly through the turns, four seconds faster than anyone else. I remember being at Silverstone, and Monza. I remember how your stiffness melted into pure joy of hugging under the Italian blowtorch. They refused to bounce off you. I love the Tifosi, and how they are not afraid of being ridiculous. I just hope you wake up and it's all still there.


It took ages to find a video I liked - this doesn't even show any of the best bits, but it kind of points to the feeling, and at least it doesn't have Eddie Jordan being the world's most annoying rent-a-quote.

#45 #92