Baby, Baby, Baby? No

Until about six months ago I didn't really have to deal with people. Prior to getting a job I didn't ever have to talk to people that I didn't know except at university or, well, in fact that was the only time really. I'm the kind of person that tries to cut down as much as possible on potentially irritating conversations - i.e. small talk. Two examples: I use the ticket machine at the train station instead of getting my ticket on the train and always use the self-serve machines in shops - as irritating as they can be, anything is a step up from someone talking about the weather. Imagine my disgust when I found myself on the other side of the counter talking about how cold it is outside to hundreds of strangers! That's not what I'm here to talk about today though - I'm happy with the way that I talk to people. The topic of today's post is more about a certain type of person that I occasionally serve - the young parent.

The Valentine's Routine

I've started writing this Valentine's Day post two or three times now and each time it just sounds like I'm moaning about being single. The furthest I got into it was a story about a couple I saw the other day saying goodbye to each other. As they went their separate ways, the woman wiped her lips and the man had a spring in his step. However I realised that this observed contrast in post-kiss reactions didn't go so much to the heart of my dislike for Valentine's Day - it went much deeper. The moral of the story (which took up two or three paragraphs so you'll be glad that it's been dropped) I found was this: in a relationship it is often the case that the two people are not on the same page. It's quite sad and results in weeks and months of people's lives being lived under false pretenses. However, that isn't what I wanted to write about so I've cut it short(er) so I can get on with the task in hand.

A Look Back on the Jubilee

I risk becoming something of a social commentator if I keep on going like this. Not that this would such a bad thing because, after all, it might be that I better myself in such a role. My posts over the last 6 months have wavered between inane teenage angst and stiff social/political comment - I feel like the latter might be of more interest to the masses. Anyway, and speaking of masses, today saw the end of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and left me with a lot of think and write about. This might just be the start of something new for me as I look to find a quasi-genre for a blog that is otherwise lacking in such. This evening I feel more like a Brit than I have done in my 10 or so years of social consciousness and it feels nice. At the start of the weekend the sight of the Union Jack would make me slightly queasy but now it invokes in me a feeling of, dare I say, pride.