Richard Pierce

Richard Pierce – author, poet, painter

Life, Writing

Day 300

A very long day in London. I am now waiting for the train to leave Liverpool Street. Lots of meetings, all so interesting they went past planned time. Been up since 05:30, so allowed myself a second espresso of the day at 17:00 in between meetings. The speech without notes at the last meeting seemed to go well (no names, no pack drill – that would be against the rules that I do observe in my day job). Also met M, a guy who writes kids’ books with funny verses and serious educational messages. Very cool. I did tell him that stuff was more valuable than fiction, but in typical male fashion, he demurred. If you’re reading this, M, I’m right. I’m always right.

 

Very sweaty having rushed for the train, but very buzzy because I love to meet people, to hear their stories, to be able to get under the bonnet of causes we get involved in at work. Although we made the sensible decision, pre-pandemic, to cut down my visits because of very high workload, it’s great to have packed 4 meetings into one day, although I may be hardly intelligible when I do Radio Stradbroke in the morning. But, after having been so ill with covid, to feel I’m full octane again is a wonderful feeling – although I know I’m going to need to rest all weekend.

 

Yes, I’m very fortunate to be able to live my job heart and soul. It bears pointing out, though, that there are serious ups and downs, just like in a marriage, that being this emotionally involved can sometimes, often, be a bad thing for mental health (unlike in a marriage), and that there is heartbreak every single day. That’s why visits are never a priority, because need is a greater priority.

 

And, speaking for me, not my employer, need is only going to become greater as we move into the next, unwarranted, age of austerity.

 

AGGIE’S ART OF HAPPINESS – CHAPTER 234

 

 

Get notifications of new posts by email.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Leave a Reply