I’ve learnt to be compassionate about people who think driving is an effort. For a long time it baffled me. Now it just annoys me.
For instance, Lou worked at Glyndebourne with someone who was driving back every night to a place that was close to hers. Even though the person knew it, there was never an offer to help her either going in or going out. She was on the coach and then the train. She even asked: “I could cycle to yours, leave my cycle outside yours and jump in with you, then cycle back from yours?” “Oh no, it’s not a safe area to lock cycles in.” That’s more about the “no” than the reason. It’s a panic response from someone who defaults to “no”. I thought about it for a while as I couldn’t fathom why someone would not be willing to help in that way. It’s easy to think they only care about themselves or they are lazy or mean. But actually I think it is more likely that they are nervous drivers. Driving a car is a scary thing to them. The longer they are driving a car the scarier. Unfamiliar routes are scary too. And passengers are terrifying as they might find them out or be at risk or other imaginationthings.
Also I guess there are some people who find it easier to say “no” than “yes”. As a great big “yes” that’s another one I struggle to make sense of.
Jo sometimes picks me up before the walk. We end it a long way from where we start and I’m in costume so it’s nice to park at the end and somehow get transport to the beginning. The Old Bull and Bush is in an area that Lime Bikes think of as Heath and don’t let you park. If Jo won’t pick me up, I get a bus beforehand and feel like a tit in my costume but get there and know my car is parked at the end. Tonight she didn’t want to pick me up. I think it adds about ten minutes to her day but she’s older than I am and if I’m tired she’s likely tired double. Hey ho.
The walk was a glory tonight anyway. Two friends of mine from Guildhall in the audience. It is rare that anyone I actually know comes. I don’t shout about it. It was lovely to have them in, I sat with them for a wee while after, but then I had to get myself back to the car. I only left about twenty minutes after Jo, but she decided she was leaving immediately this evening even despite at one point offering to take me back to my car at the end.
I’ve enjoyed this year very much, this tour, this group. It’s a fun thing to do at this time of year and makes people happy. It has provided the solution to my money worries recently, even if it’s just tickover cash. I just don’t want it taking more of my life than it has to, because … it’s just tickover cash.
I think we will be back next year. Let’s see. We ran into a rival tour group on the same route as us. I delayed and they went ahead and fuck me they were dry. Siwan got to hear a load of their stuff while she was waiting to pop up in the graveyard. We were a colourful group up the hill from them, sending waves of laughter as John and I both extended our schticks to give them time for “in November 1853 the law changed after an act of parliament that had been submitted in April of that year by messrs Goatley, Flump and Mungus was finally passed, stating that groups of people using public byways that pass private houses in the areas of London delineated in this tiny map I’m holding could be exempt from the 1851 byways ruling whereby etc etc”
I could see people looking winsomely at our laughter as that stuff unfolded in front of them. Horses for courses I guess.
As ever I’m knackered as I write this. Won’t proofread it. This is my noise tonight. Wake well, my darlings.
AlBarclay 