15. Professionalism & S.A.D.

Work went well today.

We were a man down but the team, each person an expert in their own way, and as a team, a well oiled machine, knew exactly what to do and performed beautifully.

If it were a dance to watch, it would have rivalled anything that the Royal Ballet could possibly present to their admiring audience.

On the way home, irony of ironies based on recent history, recent events, I pulled over and checked the tire pressure of the 4x4, the grand old machine, that I am driving at the moment.

The tire pressure was fine.

I make a point of keeping a close eye on the well-being of all the basics of every vehicle under my care,

- tire pressures,

- oil pressures,

- lights,

- water levels,

always but always they’re checked.

Probably almost too frequently.
But you learn in an environment like this to always go above and beyond.

You learn to run your tires just a little bit flat, a little bit under inflated in the extreme high heat of the summer.

You learn in the winter to never run with less than half a tank of fuel, just in case.

You learn to always keep tow ropes and gloves.
You learn to keep jump ropes and extra bottles of water.
You keep toilet paper and lights and fluorescent jackets and so many more things that right now I forget but I am sure as winter starts roll out before us and I check all of those supplies again I will make mention of them in the months to come.

After checking the tires and continuing the journey home I wondered what it was that I had learnt today?

What today had stood out?

I realised it was the clouds in the sky.

We haven’t had any clouds in the sky for months.

In Europe there is something called a Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.)

I believe — but don’t quote me on this — it is used to describe people who don’t receive enough sunlight because the cloud cover is too thick, too constant, and due to the lack of sunlight in the winter months in Europe these people experience a type of depression, a type of lethargy.

Recently I learned that it was thought that the Seasonal Affective Disorder affected countries like Iran and Iraq but in an exactly opposite way.

People experienced S.A.D. there because the sky is always blue, always clear, always cloud free.

I have made mentioned, I think, over the last couple of mornings about the white haze that covers the sky when I wake up. By the afternoon, it has typically burnt off and the blue is again visible.

But just the last couple of days there have been great big fluffy white clouds, too. And it has been so wonderful to see them again.

Anyway, I am home now and time is not my own.
I have fed the animals that I can feed now.
Next I need to press my clothes ready for this evenings dinner.

I think I shall wear a blue linen shirt and white linen trousers.
Yes, I like that idea.
White shoes as well, just to give the whole look an extra element of formality.

Oh, and did I tell you the gentleman that I bumped into the other day, the gentleman who continues to work in an industry that I used to work in,… he sent me a message yesterday wanting to meet for wine or for lunch.

My schedule doesn’t allow either so I’ve suggested brunch, which here we can have wine as well I suppose.
I am curious to see what it is that he wants to speak of.

I shall let you know how that unfolds.

But for now, I should really go and unfold my ironing board and press that shirt and the trousers and get ready to start the long journey to dinner.