Thursday 24 May 2012

On Wasting Time

On Tuesday, I did nothing useful. In other words I wasted a whole day. Do I regret it? Yes, a little bit. Why do I regret it? Because I am bothered by all the things I could have done, but didn't.

So what did I do exactly? I went to Kensington Gardens, and in particular, Kensington Palace. I was there early, and it was overcast and chilly, but the forecast was "fine and hot". Indeed one could see signs that the sun was doing its best to burn off the cloud layer. Sitting on a bench, I watched idly as the tourists strolled and the joggers jogged. It was nice just sitting there. The palace itself opens its doors at ten. Folks waited, checked their cameras and consulted maps. Cable guys were working steadily away in the grounds, quietly exchanging banter and carefully avoiding bad language. Everyone seemed in a nice mood. It's a pretty place, good to be in.

Ten o'clock was fast approaching and about a dozen tourists gathered at the front door. I intended to go in myself, but sat for a little while longer. I know from experience that it's wise to sit down every possible minute if you want to avoid "tourist's feet"!

When they had disappeared inside, I wandered over and entered the palace. The staff there are good at welcoming people and suggesting what to see, but I knew what I wanted to see, and where it was.

After an hour or so inside, I returned to the garden and sat in the shade, as by now it was getting hot.

The rest of the day was passed in this lazy and quite pointless manner. In and out the palace, sitting outside under a tree on a hot day. Watching other people. Sitting under a tree. Eating a little. Sitting under a tree.

There must be something truly human about sitting under a tree, so, on balance, I'm rather glad I did.

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