Today's blog is a result of an e-mail I was sent on Monday. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned being interviewed by a young journalist who wanted to talk to me about community involvement in Hethersett and my views of life, loves and the universe.
On Monday I received Dan's feature which was wonderful, humbling and very embarrassing - so I promise I won't mention it again. But it did get me thinking.
How many of you use a good old soak in the bath to cogitate (that means to think about things) on the world and life itself? I am continually re-assessing my existence, particularly when I'm up to my ears in hot water (that's hot water as in the bath and not hot water as in being in trouble).
For some reason I feel the need to continually justify my existence by re-visiting my ideals and beliefs and changing them where necessary. Of course that probably doesn't make a lot of sense unless you are me and then it makes no sense at all.
One thing I have been pondering is the idea of leaders and followers. It comes from a conversation I had with my eight-year-old grandson Elliot. I was offering a bike we had picked up. Only problem is the bike is pink. He was less than impressed. And of course I understand why. What boy would want to ride a pink bike? But that's all due to our perceptions that we grow up with.
I grew up with friends who just followed what I would call the "in people" - flitting from one group to another. They were followers but never leaders.
So I guess my comments today are aimed at younger people. When I was growing up I felt at times as though I was different and didn't quite fit in. At the time I thought this was a bad thing but, with the hindsight of experience, now think it has put me in good stead for later life.
I always hated discos and clubbing and could never see the point of drinking to excess. I much preferred to stay at home with a good book.
It took me many years to realise that this was not abnormal. Unfortunately I didn't have anyone to say "it's ok not to want to go out clubbing."
So I guess what I am saying is simple: "We are all different. It's not wrong to be out of step with others. Be a leader, not a follower and do the things you believe in and know to be right."
The people I admire are those that give you their undivided attention. They make you feel that you are the centre of their universe in the time that you are in their presence. The people I hate are those who, when you are talking to them, pay little attention with their eyes roaming around. I always feel like saying "am I boring you?"
Enough philosophising for one day.
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It's great news to hear that Santa will be touring Hethersett on Saturday. The man in red will be leaving the King's Head at 4 pm on a two hour journey around the main roads. He will be travelling at between five and ten miles an hour and it will all take about two hours. It's obviously much slower than his sleigh.
If you are interested in the exact route that Santa will take have a look at the Facebook page: Santa Claus is Coming to Hethersett | Facebook.
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Last night we attended a carol service in St Remigius Church. Nothing unusual in that. It happens every Christmas. But in every other Christmas there hasn't been any need to have pre-booked tickets.
There was just about 30 people there, the Rector and the choir. All the carols were sung by the choir and the whole thing lasted just 40 minutes. There was no problem parking in the car park. Normally singing would raise the roof, the car park would be rammed and the church would be full to overflowing. It really does make you think.
Covid has hit us in ways we could never have imagined. Back In March when we first isolated who would have thought that things would be just as bad if not worse as we approached Christmas?
And now the advice for Christmas seems to be totally confusing. We have a Government who are in effect saying to us "do what you think you need to do but don't blame us if things go wrong."