What we can learn from others

 Dear Marmite

There is always something we can learn from others. When you lived with me, Shadow- that infuriating pest -  nipped at your ankles to get you moving when a walk was on offer. Remember? Even now as a ten-year-old dog, she shows an innate sense of when a walk is afoot. Her evening meal is scheduled for 5:30 and she knows exactly when that time is. You were always rather "hasta manana". Things happened for you in your own good time; but there is one area you could help Shadow with - that is swimming. 

Danielle, baby and dog set off for a walk round a local reservoir. When we hopped over the stepping stones at a narrow point, Shadow refused to follow. I told Danielle to walk on so that Shadow would follow. She didn't. She panicked. She ran round to the next set of stones and instead of using them to walk across the water she decided to take her chance and balance on the edge of the weir. She doesn't like water.

All this panicking had a disastrous result. She didn't want to be too far away from us so she took to walking of the edge of the weir. Shadow slipped in on the deep side, then nearly fell over the edge with the drop. She scrambled up and wobbled atop the slipperly edge for a monent and threw herself at the bank, missing spectacularly. Danielle with nipper attached to her front, hauled Shad out onto the side. We laughed. Shadow didn't. She sulked. Danielle took her back to the same spot a couple of days later. She wouldn't go near the water - odd dog!

I too am learning - this time from Richard and Danielle. Danielle is with an NHS group called More Life. She has weekly zooms to talk about healthy eating. Danielle had gestational diabetes so this is how she got hooked up with the group. Richard - a trained chef - has taken this all very seriously and now I am part of the household diet. I am a couple of kg down and Danielle is 8kg lighter for her efforts. Richard weighs everything and counts the calories. I think his talent could very easily be marketed. We have tasty meals and I am very conscious of what I am eating. Good lad!

There are also people I have come across who can learn from others. I am offering advice to forty-something men who flap and flounder in the fast lane at the local pool. One in particular clearly has issues with his masculinity; the idea of chivalry is beyond his comprehension. He does everything to stop an old dear like me overtaking and getting on with my swim. Luckily he is the exception. I have met some really lovely people who swim at the same time as me. The pool has a happy atmosphere and most people smile and say hello. 

So that is life out of lockdown, Marmite, dogs swimming, me getting healthy - mostly... and the sun shining more often. I have even booked a haircut! Let's hope the result of the local elections show people have learnt from recent government bloopers.

Love you

XXX