Little and often in Flaming June

Spring flies in, but Englanders are not so easily convinced. We celebrate the days of bright sunshine in the certain knowledge that next week will bring cloud and heavy showers. But I did get out in the car a couple of times over the weekend.
Had a few jobs this year, now quiet again which provides a great window to go to Spain. Just as if there is such demand for my services that I struggle to create space in my diary to look after my property interests in Catalunya.
It’s all about perception. So my mentor would tell me. Miriam has won awards for her networking skills, and now makes a decent living running courses in how to network and other such marketing skills. She knows her stuff. In part, I envy her enthusiasm for promotion and PMA and proactivity. The 3 Ps, we would say, if we were enthusiasticallyrunning a course.
The 3 Ps, in reality, are something different. Last year, while touring Shakespeare around east London schools (yes, be glad I wasn’t journalling on these pages at that time, it was a dragfest I should have avoided from the outset) I discovered the 3 motivations for work - Passion, Prostitution and Punishment.
Sometimes more than one area is covered.
I suspect that my coach’s enthusiasm only thinly covers a cauldron of white anger and self-loathing. Perhaps not a cauldron. A bucket barbecue. I further suspect that the energy she directs into her work, and into her clients is generated partly from being a rather plain, dumpy, stout one might say, woman moving somewhat ungracefully into her fifties.
No doubt she speaks highly of you, I hear you say.
You’re right, I’m sure. I’m no spring chicken myself and it’s been many a year since I tipped the scales south of 180 pounds.
Perhaps, back in her younger days, Miriam was also slender and lithe, but that seems a stretch of the imagination somehow. There must be a difference between the ‘always been fat’ and ‘used to be thin’. I don’t really think of myself as fat. When I look in the mirror I can see it, I can see that I should lose 15, probably 20 pounds would be amazing - but i don’t really see it. I just that blokey thing, pull my stomach in and say ‘yeah, I should…’ but really, it doesn’t trouble me. Because I grew up thin. Inside, I’m thin.
I don’t think it’s the same for Miriam I get the feeling she didn’t grow up thin.
And objectively she needs to lose more than 15 - 20 lbs.

Well.

When I sat here 20 minutes ago and entered the title ‘Little and Often’ my intention was to tap out a few paragraphs. 500 words every couple of days, that should be enough, I had said to myself.

Apparently, verbosity is still right on my shoulder. But that’s a good thing for a journal, yes?

Last updated March 08, 2015