I am determined to write something which related to my next book. I have written notes and sketched out possible content, but I haven’t formally written a passage which could be part of the finished product. I feel that I am at the stage where the writing of anything is better than writing nothing, just to get me going. I do realize that what I write today may well be discarded in the future, but that junked writing is usually a way of forming my literary path forward to what I regard as a satisfactory conclusion.
What makes the writing more difficult is that I am attempting to use a central theme as the unifying element in a book that will be composed of a number of discrete parts. If it is not to be too ‘bitty’ then the theme will have to play a major role in the cement keeping the whole thing together.
I will be able to work on the detail of the different parts, but they will only be effective if I can unite them in a way that is not too forced.
Any writing I do tonight, will be a way of keeping my mind off what is happening (or perhaps not happening) in a certain dinner party in Brussels where one of the politicians in whom I have no trust whatsoever is seeing himself as a sort of White Knight bravely jousting his way in the savage lair of the EU and staunchly defending the national freedoms that he has done so much to imperil!
I truly believe that Johnson is coward enough to risk a no-deal outcome rather than get a deal which, while it might be good (or at least better than no deal) for the country would do little for his prestige and life in the Conservative party. But, sufficient unto the day and all that, let’s wait (again) to see what happens. But I remain pessimistic and, let’s face it, I have the evidence of the last four and a half years to justify depression when I see Conservative politicians going to Europe to do their thing!
The swimming pool was substantially emptier today now that the Puente is over and people are back to work. I managed to do my entire swim in a lane to myself, so that always starts me off in a good mood for the day.
I am hearing more people express qualified doubts about early acceptance of the vaccines. The rumour mills are working overtime and I have already heard a number of what I think are unsubstantiated claims of reactions to the drugs. Considering how few have actually been vaccinated, it is truly remarkable how quickly people are speaking authoritatively about them. I am still, however, staunchly in the early adopter camp. All I need now is someone somewhere to offer me a jab.
At present I am not clear about how Spain and Catalonia are going to roll out the vaccinations, but I am determined not to be disappointed if I get mine sometime in April.
I have also noted that some experts are saying that we should get used to the wearing of masks for virtually the whole of next year, with next winter being a time when we will need to be especially careful, no matter who has had the vaccine. An important point was made by one expert who said that being vaccinated did not meant that the individual was incapable of spreading the virus to others, only that the person would be unlikely to suffer the effects of the virus personally.
This is going to be a very difficult message to get across, as it is much more likely that people will consider themselves immune as soon as they are injected and make the assumption that they are safe, when they most assuredly are not.
Well, if nothing else, it will give me the opportunity to purchase a daffodil mask that I will wear on St David’s Day, March 1st, 2021!
