On the seventh day
Thanks to everyone who read my ‘secret’, i.e. non-Tweeted-about, blog yesterday. Many disagreed with me, but that is more than fine. I continue to be amazed by how many people can be bothered to listen to and even reply to my often ill-thought-out remarks. It’s doing my optimism campaign the world of good.
Since I began (admittedly only three weeks ago) I’ve succeeded in maintaining this blog on a daily basis despite the baby and so on, but today I’m going to give myself something akin to a ‘Sunday rest’. I’m old enough to remember (I hate starting sentences like that, but a lot of people who read this are about 18) when basically bugger-all happened on a Sunday. Pubs were, without exception, shut. Most shops were shut. There was, at most, one game of football on TV in the afternoon, and something like Ballykissangel in the evening. If people went and did stuff, someone from an older generation would raise an eyebrow in faint disapproval and say ‘and it was open on a Sunday, was it?’
Like many advances in society, the near-abolition of the Sunday rest-day was pretty sensible, but ever so slightly regrettable. So I’m going to take it easy today and I encourage you to do the same, or do something else that people used to do on Sundays, like believe in God or have some lamb.
Quickly, though: a new feature called Gig Report. Aside from other things, I am, in fact, a comedian, and after the baby’s birth I’m slowly getting back into working. I thought it might be vaguely interesting for others, and for me in ten years, if I publish a little report on my efforts now and again. So – on Thursday I did a corporate gig, which went as follows. I’m laying it out like a real conversation to make it more homely.
GIG REPORT
What sort of gig was it, Mark? – I was hosting an award ceremony for marketing people. There were categories like Best Campaign Featuring Online Or Interactive Contact. In total I had to present 26 awards and do a bit of stand-up at the start.
What were the audience like, Mark? – Jolly, slightly drunk people with quite big salaries. The men were clean-shaven and confident. The women, in a minority, were glammed up and focused-looking.
Were you good. Mark? – I wasn’t bad. I handled the arcane categories quite well and took the piss out of the event slightly without rubbishing people’s jobs and lives too rudely. 7/10.
See you next time, introspection fans!
Posted by Anji on March 8, 2010
When I was little, I thought it unfair that mum’s had a day and then dad’s did too. So I made a ‘daughter’s day’. What day would this day be on? Saturday after mothers day. Why? Because, I could go into town and go to the shops to spend my money!
Who wanted a special day when all the shops were shut and all you could do was walk by the river!
I’m sure almost 25 years later my day picking wouldn’t seem so meaninful when shops are never shut and you have online ones to add into the mix. I was at the height of being ‘out there’ with my ideas, now i’d have to pick the middle of the night to be even half as out there.
Posted by Rhian on March 8, 2010
Sunday’s definately used to be the longest day of the week in our household, they would drag on and on, mainly the period after Sunday lunch when mum and dad would snooze on the sofa, and us kids couldn’t go out to play because we were ‘letting our dinner go down.’ I don’t remember having to ‘let our dinner go down’ any other time. I’m slightly worried I found myself saying my daughter should wait a few minutes before going to bed so that her dinner could go down. I have certainly found that being a newish parent has allowed me some kind of access to all the parent phrases in my brain that I thought were long forgotton. I wonder if the same will happen to you too Mark?
Posted by elin on March 8, 2010
i work weekends in an old folks home, and yesterday i overheard some of the old ladies discussing age.
their conclusion was that they didn’t want to be thirty again. now, eighty they wouldn’t mind, eighty was a good age!
just thought i’d share.
Posted by max on March 7, 2010
I grew up in a big city. Sunday used to be a “dead” day but I grew used to mostly everything being open in the last decade.
I am now living in a rather smallish town in the netherlands, where EVERYTHING is closed on sundays. Even the big supermarkets.
That was a tough and sudden change.
Of course, once I managed to re-adapt to these slow dutch sundays, they started opening supermarkets on the 7th day…sigh…
Posted by Gabi on March 7, 2010
I am about 18, exactly this age in-fact. Although I do not have memories of this ‘nothing’ time, I think that sometimes it might be nice to have this mini shut down. It would be like the crippling snow season but a bit more relaxed, and with less media attention. This time should happen once every 2 months, and I think it would give people a chance to do the things they can’t bothered to do, or just don’t happen to get round to, on the normal, all functioning sundays, like fixing dripping tap or sorting out their plates (there by getting rid of chipped ones which still hold on to their faded pictures of Postman Pat).
Let’s make this happen!
Posted by Ben on March 7, 2010
spent today reading, drinking tea. had a bath. saw a pigeon (through the window, didn’t go outside).
good day.
Posted by Hannah on March 7, 2010
Anna’s completely right – Sundays are fab up till the Antiques Roadshow hours of the evening.
I still like them though. I get to go riding in the morning and spend the rest of the day failing to catch up with my uni work and generally bumbling about the house/internet.
Beautiful day for bumbling today though
Posted by Daniel on March 7, 2010
Doing nothing completely contradicts my self-improvement challenge, but then the Bible is full of these contradictions too…
Posted by anna lowman on March 7, 2010
Sundays are an odd beast. Until about 6pm they’re pretty brilliant – lie-in, nice lunch, nap in front of the football, afternoon tea with some kind of biscuit or cake – but after that you’re on the home straight before going back to work… there are certain TV shows which scream WORK TOMORROW!! Namely, Songs of Praise and Antiques Roadshow. Oh, and Brief Lives on 5Live which always seemed a bit of a melancholy thing to have on of a Sunday evening. This is all hangover from schooldays, of course, I don’t really hate my work. But I’d rather it wasn’t quite so compulsary.
Posted by Ben Draper on March 7, 2010
I went and took an abandoned dog in a home for a walk and hae booked tickets to see alice in wonderland later so I’m afraid it’s too late for me. I might even go to the pub for dinner to reward myself for the kindness in helping the dog (he was called Bepe so he could use all the kindness he could get),
Posted by Joelle Stanton on March 7, 2010
I live by the motto that you aren’t old until you’re 65 so you aren’t old to me yet!
Considering that most people that read the blog are 18 they’d do nothing every day of the week so I’m sure they’d understand anyway.
Just to bring down your optimism levels a tinee-tiny(sp?) bit I don’t have to come to the blog each day; it’s one of my home pages. The fact that you’re one of my homepages should build that confidence back up.
Have a lovely day!
Posted by Maddie on March 7, 2010
Today is a fantastic sunday to do bugger all.
I normally work both days at the weekend, every weekend, but today my boss granted me the day off.
Maybe I’ll cook some lamb?
Posted by Lisa Brunders on March 7, 2010
Hi Mark, I usually check out your blog before twitter.
I did my little step (excuse the pun – you’ll see why later) towards my tysic that I’d pledged to do before Thursday first thing this morning! I went for a walk, half an hour I pledged, did 35 minutes; was just showing off! It envigorated me and I did a little gardening when I got back.
I worked in Marketing years ago, the people still sound the same.
Going visiting my mate this afternoon. Chilling.
Posted by CarlBurktwit on March 7, 2010
I’m only 23 but my memories of Sundays are much like yours, Mark.
It may have something to do with having a 27 year old brother and 31 year old sister, but all I ever did was play football in the morning, eat lamb in the afternoon, watch A-Team, bath then bed.
Lovely.
So today I’m going to do the same.
Posted by Sam on March 7, 2010
Sunday is insanely busy, I have to do radio, and then claw back all, the uni work I’ve neglected the rest of the week.
Although this is somehow my fault.
And by somehow I mean I’ve been entirely lazy.
Also, do you mind doing corporate gigs?
Posted by Rachael on March 7, 2010
I love an excuse not to do anything, Thanks Mark!
Posted by Misha on March 7, 2010
Sunday is food shopping day in our house, That’s all that happens. Either that or it’s just me and the cat in which case I have a bath and listen to the radio.
Long dark tea time of the soul.
Posted by louise on March 7, 2010
I have decided to go to the peoples palace (in Glasgow) today to see billy connollys banana boots, not something I do everyday.