This morning I came down to my mum watching a 2 hour-long YouTube video and she said she would not be ready to go outside until she had finished it; she also wanted me to watch it. I did then watch the video but this meant that I did not take the dog out for her walk and I started my exercises after 10am. I told my mum that in future I am sticking to the schedule whether she comes with me or not as I need to maintain the routine. One positive that did come from this was that I did the rowing before the outdoor exercise and therefore completed the bit I enjoy the least first. As of tomorrow I will do the rowing before I take the dog out so that it is done and I will be pleased that I have ticked that off for the day.
Today and yesterday I watched Ian Hislop’s documentaries on Britain’s “olden days”. It has been fascinating to learn how each age has created it’s own mythology of the past to make change in their era. King Alfred the Great and King Arthur have both had different versions of their story told at different points in history to forward different agendas. For instance, King Fredricks built upon the history Alfred beating the Vikings at sea by claiming that he was the founder of the British Navy. Oxford University also claimed that King Alfred was their founder whilst petitioning the then young King of England as they knew he would be more likely to respond if his ancestor had been the founder.
This has made me think about the modern “fake news” problem and how maybe this has been going on for a long time. People create stories that people want to hear and believe – the actual truth is somewhat irrelevant.
It’s another sunny day in Langley today. I’m enjoying the time off from work and the slower pace of my life. Work worries have taken a back seat and I’m focusing on chilling out, learning and getting fit. The one thing I need to get better at is spending more time each day reading. I am still on the first chapter of the Nudge book and am struggling to get into it. I will set time aside each day to read at least 10 pages so that I can get through it.
Vic's Blog 