Okay, I’m late, but I was kept up to the early hours by some reprobates last night. Greenbelt staff ended up leaving the keys to the tent with them.
I’m sort of glad, since it gave me a chance to listen to Becky Tyler. Really glad I did for so many reasons, but especially because she talked about some things that were in my mind. Yesterday I picked up my 2020 diary and calendar and thought “Well that was a waste of money”. I’m with Becky, we should get a refund.
The odd thing is that I have found myself planning things in a really different way. I’ve set up two white boards that I write things on and stick things to. I have one list of delivery dates for things to make sure I can hear the doorbell (which the delivery drivers seldom ring). I also have a to do list. But the main thing is to scribble down random thoughts (like what to blog about).
I took off my watch at the start of lockdown and it still sits on my table in the living room. I’ve started living my life in a less structured way. I was a bit taken aback recently when a friend asked if he could call, and went on to schedule a date for the call. There is very little I schedule these days (okay F1 is an exception – but even with that I have it on record because I can’t be sure I will follow a schedule).
Interesting listening to Paul Northup on R4 this morning, about re-wilding our lives. I guess that is what I have found myself doing. We lived lives without standard times until recently – until the railways introduced a standard time to all of us. It really is a new invention.
I’ve bought a new house in Spain (the reason I am in quarantine) and I spent time there living a very un-scheduled life. I took time to sit and relax and do nothing but think.
I want to carry this wild behaviour on to the rest of my life. But there is a real challenge making this work, because so much of our lives are controlled, perhaps so much so that we have no time to really live.
If you want to hear the R4 service you can listen to it on BBC HERE
And if you want to watch the service you will find it here: