My Mass Observation Report

I thought you might like to now what I wrote for Mass Observation.  This is going to be a really dull post but the brief is to write about just this one day in my life and 12th May was really dull!  

"Today I am feeling a little bit sorry for myself.  I was supposed to be taking care of a friend’s dog at her house but I have a lot of pain in my legs so I can’t do it.  I enjoy doing that particular favour as my friend’s house is high on the Lincolnshire Wolds and has magnificent views.  I regard it as a holiday with self-catering accommodation. 

 Instead, I am at home in my bungalow.  I am a tenant of The Church of England Pensions Board and the Board is an excellent landlord.  I am disabled (but usually in better nick than I am today) and my bungalow has ramped access front and back, a wet-room and an accessible garden.  Many older people have gravitated to the cul-de-sac where I live and we keep an eye on each other.  My housing situation could not be better. 

 As today is the twelfth of the month my pension for the early part of my working life arrived in my bank account.  Although I finished my working life as a vicar, until I was thirty, I worked in local government and the civil service.  These last few years have been a period of high inflation and I have had to economise, cutting down on car usage, food and energy bills.  The rate of inflation has started to drop and the latest consumer price index is 3.25%.  

 I wrote a post for my blog: indeed, I wrote about Mass Observation!  Blogging is a declining activity and seems to attract only older people but I enjoy it.  I have met a few fellow bloggers “in real life” and have written letters to a few overseas.  I read blogs about ordinary, everyday life, and people’s hopes and reflections.

 I’m very sleepy today, probably because I am taking pain relief.  The great joy of retirement is that it doesn’t matter how sleepy I am!  However, I can’t be bothered to do anything which is rather unpleasant.  I just keep nodding off. 

 Whilst I’m not able to do much I have had a few video calls with friends.  I think video calls are great.  The idea of being able to see friends miles away seemed like a fantasy only a few years ago.

Normally I enjoy cooking good food for myself from scratch but I don’t feel up to that today.  Breakfast was a sandwich which I had in the freezer and lunch was canned tuna, canned sweetcorn and mayonnaise.  For an evening meal all I could be bothered with was mashed potatoes from the freezer with a scattering of cheese.  I’ll survive.  But I shall be glad to eat properly again.

 This is probably my most boring day of the year!  I can’t move far, I feel “spaced out” on pain relief and my get-up-and-go has got-up-and-gone.  But it’s an honest record!"

In case you are feeling concerned, life is looking better today and the only way is up!