I woke at 3.15am to find the puppy was chewing
my nose. She meant no harm, but I didn’t get off to sleep again after that. I
gave up trying to sleep, and watched an episode of “Dad’s Army” then had a look-see on-line. Just before I went to bed
last night I read on Facebook that a cousin had been offered a place on the TV
show “Come Dine With Me”; I clicked
the “like” button and went to kip.
This morning I’d had a message from her to say it was all some scheme and I was
now supposed to post some nonsense on Facebook as a status update for “2017 autism awareness”.
What was that all about? Surely posting a
direct link to “2017 autism awareness”
would achieve far more? I googled “2017
autism awareness” and found nothing apart from an autism awareness week in
a few months’ time. I wonder what that was all about.
The ice on my car was melting, so I was
able to make a quick getaway this morning. As I drove the pundits on the radio
were interviewing some religious farmers. These farmers had decided to take
their children out of mainstream education and home-school them instead.
Apparently their children didn't like going to school, and the logistics of
taking the children to school every day was somewhat inconvenient for all
concerned. So the parents felt the children would learn far more from working
on a farm than from going to a school.
The parents didn't come over as being
particularly bright and the children sounded rather thick. One child was
explaining how their farm was breeding goats. The child then milked a goat (on the radio!) and made a great fuss
about how he was getting goats' milk out. The way the child spoke gave the
distinct impression that absolutely anything might have been coming out and I
rather got the impression that the child felt that they were just trying for
goats milk this time and next time they might go for apples or a double-decker
bus.
The parents then waxed loquaciously
about how much the children learn from working on the farm every day, and how
they couldn't operate the farm without the children's input. It struck me that
there is a very thin line between learning whilst helping on your parent's farm
and conscripted child labour.
Being Sunday the pundits on the radio
had the obligatory religious spot. They interviewed someone of some religion or
other. I can't remember what flavour of lunacy this chap advocated but I do
remember he started his diatribe with the phrase "my religion is my social
interactions". He then gave a five-minute speech about the importance of
friendships and a fulfilling lifestyle. He was quite compelling; I must admit I
could relate to a lot of what he was saying about good citizenship and being a
part of the community. But somehow (in a
complete non-sequitur) all of this somehow proved the existence of his God.
The argument went along the lines of "because
the garden is pretty there must be magical pixies living in it".
This was followed by a news article in
which all sorts of religious types have got upset. Recently a load of Muslims
were invited to a service at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow as part of some
inter-faith thingy and all hell broke loose when it turned out that each
side felt the other's beliefs were wrong.
I don't understand religion at all.
People seem to ardently believe the most patently nonsensical gibberish.
I stopped off at the boot fair as I
drove through Wincheap. Some people were still setting up their stalls but the
chap I was hoping to see was already doing business. I went up to the
second-hand fishing tackle stall. I was disappointed to see he had no
seat-boxes, but when I asked he said he had one. He wasn't actually intending
to sell it; he was using it as storage for other bits and bobs. That was
exactly why I wanted a seat-box. When he showed me the box I offered him a
tenner and he seemed very happy with the deal (as was I). Content in the knowledge that a fair exchange is no
robbery I went on to work; arriving just as it was getting light.
I did my bit at work; it was busy enough
to keep me out of mischief. And I didn't mind being at work today as I could
see from the window that it rained for much of the day. And another good reason
for being at work was that because today was the last day I'd be working with
Luke, he'd brought in cakes. Several cream ones. Good lad !!
I came home to find the puppy had eaten
one of my slippers…
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