If only everything we are fed was true we would have the perfect spouse, the perfect car, the perfect society, the perfect everything.
So why can't the world be that perfect place? I'll leave you to work that out.
Books and television are often a product of this perfect world syndrome. They promote celebrities as whiter than white (is that something of a racist remark?)
On a recent trip to Wymondham I had a mooch round the charity shops (good word mooch). There always seem to be books about cyclist Lance Armstrong. Most of these were written in celebration of Armstrong and long before it was found out that he was in fact a drugs cheat. I'm sure charity shops have a lot of these books as nobody is going to buy them.
Overheard in charity shop.
Assistant: "Got some really nice golf clubs if you're interested."
Woman customer: "Do I look like somebody who plays golf?"
Made me think. What does somebody who plays golf look like? They certainly aren't going to go to the supermarket carrying a nine iron. Can you imagine the mayhem if they did and started smashing strawberries or cucumbers about?
You never know who you are passing in the street. They could be an evil scientist bent on destroying the world ( ok I got a bit carried away there). But you probably get my point.
The people you sit next to on public transport or close to in a cafe might be leaders in their field. Or like me they could just be ordinary Joes.
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We spend a lot of time staying on Kelling Heath in North Norfolk and it's interesting to see the changes in the seasons and I don't just mean from a nature point of view.
Out of season and outside of school holidays the place can be and usually is very quiet. Then during the summer holidays, it gets packed with people. That's probably stating the obvious. I enjoy both. I like it when it's quiet but I also like it when there's food outlets, evening entertainment and the place is alive with families enjoying themselves. And taking that as a recipe for life I would say I enjoy it when I'm being sociable and surrounded by people, but equally enjoy it when I'm on my own. I like a mixture of both.
I wonder if it's due to the fact that I'm an only one. I certainly think so. Growing up, I had plenty of friends and there was always somebody to play with. Equally there were long periods when I was on my own with nothing really to do - say for example on wet days during the school holidays when playing sport down the local Rec was definitely off the menu.
Then I stayed in and made up games - something I have alluded to in the past. I was known as "someone who could amuse himself". Left to my own devices, well I simply turned to my own devices and of course I don't mean mobile phones or computers.
At the moment things are a tad stressful as I try to keep up with things to do. Over the next few weeks I have:
Posters to design and distribute for coming events organised by the Friends of Hethersett Library.
Promotional work to do for Norfolk Family History Society.
Le Paradis Massacre website to update and an additional chapter to write for the book.
A daily blog to write.
Good News magazine to design and edit by next week.
Hethersett Herald to write, edit and publish by end of the month.
Two other books to edit and check.
So if left to my own devices I'm going to be very busy.