Richard Pierce

Richard Pierce – author, poet, painter

Life, Writing

Day 94

For the first time in some years, I have not wanted a holiday to end. As A said to me in the car last night when I picked her up from the station after her weekend in London with her siblings, “You’re normally a bit weird when you’re on holiday.” Well, this time I wasn’t even a bit weird, maybe because of my back, maybe because I really needed a break, maybe because I’ve finally grown up. Anyway, I had great difficulty getting out of bed this morning, from a willpower point of view anyway, and not just because my back is complaining, not just because there’s residual fear there, but because I felt comfy in bed and wanted to stay there.

I did resist the temptation yesterday afternoon to check my work in-box. It wouldn’t have been in the spirit of making the most of my time off, and I have been really good; even when my phone has told me there was work email, I didn’t check it. But I did just check my inbox – 128 actionable unread emails. A busy day ahead.

The weather has turned again. It’s warm, wet, and windy out there. My back doesn’t like wind. I don’t like rain. Cold and sunny, or hot and sunny, preferably prefaced by “very” is my kind of weather. But then this is England, and I’m sure I’ve written before about how I think the English weather is very reflective of the English temperament and achievement. That’s now truer than ever.

I tried to navigate my way on foot (without using my phone) to Norwich airport yesterday afternoon. Unsuccessfully, I hasten to add, although, on checking when I got back, I wasn’t actually that far away. If I’d have followed a different road instead of being tempted into multiple dead ends in a couple of housing estates (or just one huge one), I’d probably have got there. No agenda to the enterprise. I love airports, and I wanted to walk somewhere with a purpose other than just walking for the sake of it. I did cover over four miles, so that’s a good thing.

I often have to remind myself that what the Aggie I’m sharing here is a first draft without really thinking about it, if that makes sense. It’s interesting to write in short sharp bursts (although yesterday morning was a struggle) and not to go back and edit as I’m going along. As I’ve said before, the edit and final 4 weeks of chapters will happen out of the public eye, and I will take all extant chapters off this blog at the end of November.

I took a break for back stretches, Wordle, and breakfast. The wind has strengthened, the rain is audible on the study roof. The one at the previous house had a corrugated iron roof which was immensely loud in weather like this. This one has a wood and rubber roof. Much quieter, so I write this in relative silence. I need that silence because there’s so much noise in my head.

 

AGGIE’S ART OF HAPPINESS – CHAPTER 51

 

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2 Comments

  1. Ren Powell

    5th April 2022 at 06:18

    Oh, I know the noise-in-the-head! I am so glad you had a good vacation!
    And that getting back to it wasn’t painful.

    1. Richard Pierce

      5th April 2022 at 07:32

      A bit of an eye-opener, this last week, actually. Maybe it’s because I have started trying to balance life and work more this year even before I went on hols. And getting back wasn’t as painful as I thought it might be. Still learning at 61! Who knew? R

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