Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious

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A funny, life-affirming memoir from the creator of social media empire Very British Problems, about how to start again when everything’s gone wrong. In the two episodes, Kirby had his Star Ship transformed into Star Car. It is unknown why he doesn't use it in this episode, though perhaps it is because of the no Warp Star rule. At first, things go off smoothly but as Urkel continues to ask questions, one of the more talkative members lets slip that he and the other Dragons caused the vandalism and beat up Eddie. A handful of years ago I moved with my wife to a house on a quiet street in a quiet town and lay quietly in a room for a long time. Then there’s the Very British Problems Daily Telegraph column, the four book volumes and counting, the board game, cups, greetings cards, and not forgetting the TV programme. A social media empire that Rob runs – horizontally – all from the comfort of his sofa. Rob Temple winning at life? Yes, but if only everything was that straightforward for him, as he explains in this book’s introduction:

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That night, Rachel and the others laugh about how Carl taught The Dragons a lesson in manners and respect. Then, the phone rings. Harriette answers it and learns from Carl that The Dragons returned to Rachel's Place to finish what they started earlier in the day. The damage is far worse than Rachel had ever feared: tables and chairs lying everywhere, video games damaged, the glasses and china broken and The Dragons' logo spray painted on the wall. Urkel will be hooked to a wire and Steve's conversation with Chain will be tape-recorded. Lieutenant Murtaugh tells them the plan: while Urkel is in The Dragons' hangout, he and Carl will be in a white van listening to their conversation. Chain tells the others to shut up and then says he suspects that Urkel was wired, forcing Carl and Lieutenant Murtaugh (who have been listening to the entire proceedings from their surveilance van) to run in to save Urkel's life. Even though they are handcuffed together thanks to Murtaugh's immaturity, they manage to get the job done & arrest The Dragons.Fortunately, Harriette is able to treat the injuries, which are not serious but she still wants to put antiseptic on his wounds to clean it up. Rachel and Laura are resigned to cleaning up the mess that The Dragons made to Rachel's Place. Carl is outraged and wants to take matters into his own hands. On the screen, Customer Service is revealed to be the announcer and introduces the audience to the speedway while also advertising his business, much to the audience's impatience. Despite their hostility, the announcer proceeds to introduce the racers. When it's revealed that Gengu is his substitution, the audience becomes confused and worried. By the time Rob Temple hit his thirties, he had become so afraid of the world that he couldn’t leave the house. Depressed and anxious, he found himself drifting deeper into solitude.

Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious - Goodreads Born to be Mild: Adventures for the Anxious - Goodreads

So Rob decided to make a plan - to embark on fifty 'mild' adventures, to be a little less Pooh Bear and a little more Bear Grylls. On a gentle journey that takes him beekeeping, bowling, and to a service station just off the M25, Rob starts to settle on a better balance - and soon discovers the joys of a life well lived. If you have an anxious mind and want to find a kindred soul, and to reflect upon how our lives (as humdrum and routine or exciting and varied) are moulded by our social environment, our mental health, our persistent anxiety, then read this book. I tried. I really did. I didn't want my first book of 2021 to be a DNF (did not finish) failure. Yet at 20 something percent I couldn't deal with it anymore. Born To Be Mild is a mixing pot of experiences that includes zany humour, hardcore cringy embarrassment, poignant reflections on mental health and a shed load of interesting experiences that a lot of people can connect with in important ways. I don’t do a lot of things in my life because I am socially awkward and anxious about new experiences. Born To Be Mild has taught me a few things and the two most revealing elements Rob Temple has provided me were that adventures are better with friends and that anything can happen, you just need to show up.

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Urkel: Big guy, you okay? Carl: No, I'm not, Steve. I want revenge. Urkel: But you can't. You're a cop. Carl: But I'm a father first. Urkel: Wait, wait, wait. I said wait. Carl: What is it? Urkel: Now you're upset and with good reason, but if you go out Dragon bashing, they'll scream police brutality and you'll lose your job. Rob tries to answer the question – can socially awkward, anxious people get out there and have a good time regardless? Can they take on exciting new experiences and have adventures? It is Rob’s huge fortune that he has his mum and dad in his life, and it is they who are the break-out stars of this book. Funny, wise, but most importantly always there for him, his parents provide the physical and emotional lift-raft that his situation and outlook so perilously needed. Rob’s book dedication to his mum and dad is therefore more than authorial convention. Noted as well is that home with them also means excellent fish pie. Because Born to be Mild is a book that is honest about anxiety, yet positive, uplifting and ultimately life-affirming and relevant.

Born to Be Mild - Part I | Kirby Wiki | Fandom Born to Be Mild - Part I | Kirby Wiki | Fandom

So far, so mild. But whilst these and his many other endeavours might not be everyone’s idea of ‘adventures’, Rob’s intrepidness lies in his reaching out to others in new social situations, in overcoming his harmful inclination to ‘retract into myself’. More so than any death-defying leap, it is a sort of bravery that we all might recognise and seek to emulate. As someone who has experienced crippling social anxiety, and has spent much time in Peterborough, Born to be Mild resonated with me on every level. This book should have been for me. I sometimes feel crippled by indecision, and I can get very anxious about things, so whilst it was never going to be a self-help book, I thought it may provide some funny insights into the life of someone who suffered similar problems. Also, I like the Very British Problems tweets Rob puts out, but this book was shallow, a bit dull, and not very funny. Before leaving town, the Dedede and his posse steal gas from Gus's station, but as they drive past Gus, he remembers Fang just as Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby catch up to him. After confirming that he knows Fang, Tiff grows impatient and demands for more information. Gus then reveals that Fang was an old friend of his and that he was a part of his gang, but left it a long time ago and swore to never ride his bike again, and after Tiff suggests using it to reason with them, the adult simply claims that he was unable to. As he's left incapacitated by fear, clips are shown of the gang terrorizing the cappy shepherd and his sheep and a group of cappies that own farmland that's located in the outskirts of town. We then see a group of cappies with Tiff, Tuff, and Kirby trying to come to a solution to drive them out of town. The only solution they come to is fixing/building their own cars to fight the trio.To stop being frivolous for a moment. Rob Temple has written a book that is at times very poignant as well as being very honest, self deprecating and extremely funny. There are not many books that make me laugh out loud or keep me reading while my 10th cup of tea of the day goes cold. Later on, Rachel's Place is restored to its original state & Steve is rewarded as a hero for putting The Dragons away for a long time. Rob Temple’s Born To Be Mild is an impressive attempt at answering a possibly life changing question: Can socially awkward, nervous and anxious people still go adventuring and have a good time? Rob embarks on fifty adventures (both big and small) to pull himself out of a life of solitude he has created for himself to try and discover what constitutes an enjoyable experience or, at the very least, where on the line between comfort and conformity sits a good time. In forcing himself out of the house, from his very restrictive comfort zone, and into the world to experience what it has to offer, Rob Temple becomes a paragon of anxious exploration for all those people (myself included) who continue to cancel their lives due to mental health concerns. Though you don’t want to feel as if you’re laughing at Rob’s life, I found this book really funny and, to me, it didn’t feel like you were laughing at his expense – rather laughing along with Rob as he relays lots of humorous, albeit awkward, experiences that lots of people can no doubt relate to, whatever their personality type. It just sums up so much of what it means to be ‘British’ in a humorous, entertaining way – but the inclusion of Rob’s personal experiences and very difficult times add a very real and important message about mental health to this book. You might not assume that someone who manages a funny, light-hearted social media account could be suffering from anxiety, but you never know in reality. It manages to drive home the impact of poor mental health without feeling preachy or over the top, and remains a entertaining and fun read.