Robert Carey, aged eight
Part 2 of a short story series about the young Robert Carey - and in case you don't already have it, you can get part 1 as well, A Pest of a Boy.
This has been very interesting. At a rough estimate about two thirds of people who responded to my two posts on this subject on my local network, sent brief messages of heartfelt support.
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About a third of respondents said they disagreed and made points about how Network Cornwall is really a business-to-business network and businesses \’have\’ to get started early.
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A few of them got themselves into a terrible tizzy at the whole notion of someone daring to have a different opinion from them. One charming lady with a \”fireworks and tinsel\” event to publicise, threatened to put a pine cone up my ass (she\’s welcome to try… Oh and by the way – isn\’t modern tinsel highly flammable? Just asking.) Another lady rather patronisingly diagnosed that I had a lot of anger issues and should rise above them and stop disagreeing with her.
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Personally speaking, I enjoy a good debate as a relief from the commercial grind. In a debate, it\’s normal for people to disagree. It\’s OK. Even honeybees do it when they\’re deciding where a swarm will live (see Thomas D Seeley\’s wonderful \”Honeybee Democracy\”). Debate is an antidote to groupthink and conformism. Properly conducted, it can be a good way to make decisions. Why, there are even people mad enough to create an entire political system based on free debate and voting, which they call democracy.
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The Christmas marathoners feel they have to start earlier and earlier, mainly for commercial reasons.
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Christmas sprinters (like me) would prefer Christmas to be a joyous but short end to the year.
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Christmas marathoners are welcome to slog as much as they like, but I will be doing my best to avoid all premature festivity. I invite those who agree with me to do the same. Nobody is boycotting or bullying anybody. It\’s still a free country. We can each freely choose our Christmas policy. That\’s all.
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Blessings (and pine cones in festive gold) to you all!
For me Christmas can’t start until after my son’s birthday on 28th November. I find it remarkably easy to ignore everything festive until then. After that I can relax and start to enjoy the build up. You’ve got my full support on this!
Similarly my son’s birthday is on the 2nd December (though he has to be restrained from starting to plan Christmas in August!)
Thanks for the support – perhaps one day Christmas sanity will prevail!