Paul Davidson
Yearnotes 2021
Our interactions with the NHS and raising Piglet have set a loop in my head that life is built from chains of lives. There’s been a trainee at all of our scans. Just as those training them were trainees before them. The entire edifice of the NHS is training those to come. Institutionalising care.
One of Granddad’s favoured ways of playing with Piglet is to make up new verses to nursery rhymes and to mess with the words of existing verses. The Chef turned to me and said, “so that’s where you get it from.” Until that point I’d never realised. And I do it with Piglet too. Trainee as trainer.
How lives chain together has been looping around my head for the last few months. The ideas of custodianship over ownership. The birch in our garden was here before us and should be here after us. It’s just kind enough to let us use its garden. And it’s our responsibility to care for it.
I haven’t come to a grand conclusion on this yet. It’s just where my head has been for much of 2021 and especially the last few weeks.
A year in updates
Merrineum. Hands. 不要. Internal lives. Abseiling. Tyrants. CNY. Sledging. Hats. Spring. Fingertips. Weeknotes. Vaccines. Sleep out. Toes. Bath. Stony pockets. Podcasts. Eggshells. mRNA. Wellies. Camping. Germs. Books. Two. NHS. Closure. Drenched. Bitten. Big Girl Bed. Holiday. Cricket. Duolingo. Pigwidgeon. Swot. Office. Chainsaws. Potties. Meadowhall. Succulents. Sinister chuckling. Rescheduled. Jealousy. Sixty. Starjumps. Fireworks. Antibiotics. Decorations. Pathways. Yesterday, tomorrow.
Consumption
Books
They’re all here. My favourites though? All fiction this year. Remains of the Day, The Maker of Swans, Bring up the Bodies, Brigada, Gnomon, Giovanni’s Room, and Light Perpetual.
Films
I think I Watched as few as four films this year. When Harry Met Sally was the pick. The Rule of Three episode about it is celebratory.
Music
These are all the songs that I mentioned on here this year. Fana Hues is the only artist who gets on the list twice and deservedly so. I love that album.
Games
Both on mobile and it’s Sudoku and Antiyoy.
Resolutions
I’m sticking with last year’s break in tradition (is this the new tradition?) and making some more resolutions. Principles if you will. Maybe.
- More life, less work
- More music, less podcasting
- More friends, less couch
- Writing. That’s both Morning Pages and punctual Weeknotes
The last one isn’t for me, so I don’t know if it counts as a resolution. I’m going to do my best to make sure Piglet doesn’t have closed and rounded shoulders.
1 January 2022