I Always Seem To Get Ill In England

Thursday 28th September

 Maybe it is all the travelling, planes, trains and buses.  Or is it just the change in the climate?  But I do a lot of travelling, checking out and collecting and dealing with the post at Walton (and opening all those CDs I have ordered).  Then usually a visit to Mum and Dad or one of the children – more trains and buses.  And of course, into Central London for work, which while not so strenuous can be awkward.  And then to my wife’s house in London. Again a few chores usually waiting for me there, lawn to mow etc….And then up early to return to France.  More trains and planes.

I usually pick up a cold or a stomach bug, or simply have bad headaches.  And it takes a day or two to recover.  And why do I do it? Not really for the money, though money is always handy.  Partly because I can’t quite let go.  Most of my life has been working, and talking to lots of other people, I worked pretty hard (though compared to miners or farmhands or factory workers, maybe I had it easy).  It keeps my brain active, and in a funny way – your work defines you.  It gives you status, and simply being retired is no real status at all.  I like the staff and people I work with, they always seem happy to see me – if only to sort out a few problems.

And it gives me the excuse to see Mum and Dad and the children more often than in fact I would have seen them if I was still in England.  So, I will continue as long as I can continue…feeling ill or not.