I’ve been rather
thoughtful and reflective over the last day or so. Yesterday I received an
invitation to a party, but was warned “but
so-and-so is going to be there.” “So-and-so”
is an odd fellow. Over the course of five years he went from being everyone’s
favourite person to being a universally disliked bully. It is commonly said
that one should stand up to bullies, so at the time I did so. But everyone else
who was being subjected to his nastiness continued to kow-tow to him so
effectively I found myself isolated and have done ever since.
I sent an apology in
reply to the party invitation; not perhaps that polite an apology, but one
explaining in no uncertain terms why it wouldn’t bother me if I never saw “So-and-so” again. I got an instant reply
which was rather sympathetic. I was told I wasn’t alone in feeling that way; no
one likes him. When I asked why he remains part of the social circle which I
have decided to abandon, and specifically why he got invited to this party at
all, I got rather vague evasive answers.
Should I have not stood
up to this fellow? Should I have stayed quiet and remained “part of the gang”? If being “part of the gang” involves being part of
a social group which is beholden to his bullying ways I’m glad to be out of it.
I’ve also found myself
thinking about other people’s religions. As I had my morning rummage round
Facebook I saw a few friends thanking God for every trivial little incident
that happened in their lives whilst drawing a blank over the much larger
horrible episodes. I remember a friend of mine (now a Baptist minister) once offering up a prayer when he found a
fifty-pence coin on the street but then saying that treading in a dog turd five
minutes later was just blind chance.
As I scoffed my toast
my phone beeped with a reminder from my google calendar that I had an
appointment with the dentist this morning. I’d forgotten about that. Despite
bombarding me with texts telling me about cancellations they’ve had and would I
like an appointment at short notice, the dentist didn’t think to send me a
message about the appointment I *did*
have.
So with half an hour
spare I devoured my toast and set off to the fang-quack. It is very handy
having a dentist which is just a couple of hundred yards down the road.
Today was the first go
with the new dentist. I’ve not had a lady dentist before. She rummaged in my
gob, took some X-rays and found all sorts of problems that the hygienist didn’t
spot last week. Don’t hygienists look for that sort of thing? Did the hygienist
miss my dental dilemmas? Is the dentist just touting for trade?
I’ve got to go back in
a few weeks’ time to get it all put right. I eventually managed to make an
appointment; I couldn’t really hear what the receptionist was mumbling over the
noise of the radio.
I came home and once
the washing was pegged out I took the dogs round the park. Fudge was comical;
at the point of our closest approach to the river he stopped and looked at me
as though he was asking. “Oh go on then”
I said, and he smiled (as he does)
and ran straight to the dog beach. I video-ed
his antics; he stands in the river and barks for you to throw stones
onto the water. He then runs to where the stone went in, and barks for you to
throw another.
We played for a few
minutes before coming home. More washing got pegged out, and I had a go at some
flaking paint with a wire brush (as one
does) before running round the living room with the Hoover. The thing
worked far better once I’d emptied it out…
I watched more “Trailer Park Boys” over a sandwich, then
went to bed for the afternoon. For once the dogs didn’t bark incessantly at
nothing, and I got a good three hours asleep.
Once I’d got the washing
in I then updated the McAfee anti-virus thingy on my lap-top. That took some
updating.
"er indoors TM" will be home
soon. A spot of dinner, then I shall get the train to the night shift. I had
hoped my car would be fixed by now. To be honest I never thought it would be
ready; I just hoped it would be. Still, I’ve done that train trip twice this
week already. I should be good at it by now…
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