For some reason – unexplained or even referenced
by omnipotent London Transport, the news media or word of mouth – the buses I use were up the creek yesterday. An agreeable teenager at the bus stop confirmed he could find nothing on his ‘phone, checked with the drivers of two other buses coming through better late than never, amid buses out of service, drawing blank. So I came home. not buying the card I thought I must get, or the bits and pieces at the supermarket … I made do and devoted the day to staying off the unresolved swollen ankle and allowing the bruised fingers further R&R.
Surprise, surprise, nothing on tv. Couldn’t think how to hold the book without using SP (sore paw), didn’t really want to read. Thought through tasks to be done as in “I could …” or “what about ?” and rejected them as compromising my stated goals.
The secret Puritan all would be malingerers expect to turn up at the door asking “And what do you think you’re doing ?” didn’t materialize and this time, I could account for myself. I was resting which is sometimes what you have to do.
What I did not expect was how busy my head would be. Oh yes, I sat and thought and dozed – and then as if released by a Pandora, other trains of thought started, some of this of course midwifed by media.
Please stop telling me this person or that person is for Trump or Harris.
We don’t have a vote in the US and the ballot won’t be decided (please God) by Elon Musk or VPutin or the Chinese operatives whose presence is probably more worrying but harder to turn into headlines. It will be decided by the American people , stuck in an electoral system open to abuse and less and less likely to turn up the best person for the job (not a new perception) – because they can’t raise the money to campaign. It will be as it is.
Then I thought about the Darlington Nursing Union, a group of nurses whose hospital an d whose union have toed the party line about a trans identified male colleague being allowed to share their changing room. And well done health secretary Wes Streeting for meeting with them.
I have not shared space with other women to change my clothes very often in my life and because of early exposure to medicine, might be more matter of fact about nudity than some. But changing my clothes at the end of a shift and having to contend with disagreeable commentary because your rights are currently more fashionable than mine ?
No thank you.
I wish I could reach Janice Turner (Times on Saturday) who has written the second of two stand out pieces (the first about Chris Kaba) to acknowledge her twice over for making me think. But though we have the most sophisticated communications systems , it is harder and harder to get through the modern bramble forests – when all you wanted to do was say thank you.
My response to fashion is mostly puzzlement and dismissal. Of 16 Things To Get You To Look Now there wasn’t one I would give house room. I may need clothes but they have to work for me and years ago I opted for style over craze – unless as occasionally happens – the latest thing happens to be just right for you.
The Badget has been praised, castigated, analysed and shrugged into existence. Another it will be as it is. I just wish every member of the current lot to understand that poor communication, the wrong tone and rigidity (received by the watching populace as smug and unthinking) was a major contribution to the unravelling of the Conservative Party as the public (us) received it.
And I know somebody who could really help them – beyond me.
I thought about looking back and looking forward and decided I preferred looking around, looking at where I am, even when it is unknown and might be uncomfortable. I counted my blessings again – and once more, sent every positive thought to friends unwell and friends bothered – and went off to drink another glass of water.
Annalog 