In these days of immediate feedback, it feels a little odd to write a blog post for a future publishing date. The reason is my own stupidity; I am sat in a hotel, hundreds of miles from home, and forgot to put the 3G USB dongle in my bag.
I could probably figure out how to tether the phone and us it’s internet connection, but for the moment it makes a change to just have words and nothing else.
I’m in Nottingham. Home of Robin Hood, and Sherwood Forest. Although I can’t give specifics, I’m delivering the system I have worked day and night on over the last three weeks. I can’t quite describe the relief earlier when every element of it worked. In the wild.
Perhaps the worst part of working away from home is eating alone in a restaurant. Tonight was “Pizza Hut”, which won out over the hotel’s own “Beefeater” restaurant.
While waiting for my order, I read some of my book - “Nocturne” by Kazuo Ishiguru. Something caught the corner of my eye and I looked up - a young couple wandered in, nervously following the matradee to a table.
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you could tell it was their first date - and he was rubbish. She was timid, and he didn’t try to make conversation at all. In a strange way it was amusing - being on the outside looking in, but in another way it was a shame. She was probably lovely, and was wracked with nerves - and she was faced with an idiot fiddling with the hair behind his ears, and who stared out of the window at the car park during the lengthy silences.
It’s interesting - looking back as a mature adult to those uncertain times. I can suddenly understand why younger women like older men. Self assurance and confidence are not so much beguiling, as just flat-out easier to deal with. Knowing you can talk about anything, and that the other person will really listen and care is more than half the battle.
I hope she doesn’t end up with him.
Fast forward an hour or so, and I’m sat in the hotel, watching rubbish hotel room TV, and eating my way though all the spare change I had in chocolate bars. I don’t deal with boredom well at all.