It’s amazing how you can be in the most beautiful places and yet still feel a bit sorry for yourself.
Here we are on this beautiful campsite in the heart of the Dordogne’s Perigord region. The sun is shining and I have virtually nothing to do, what could be better?
And yet, coronavirus still rears its ugly head making us feel uneasy about being away against Foreign Office advice. Also it seems that this little departement of rural France is pretty lax about social distancing and sanitation, maybe that explains why their infection rates are creeping up ahead of ours.
Then every time I read the news app on my phone there is yet another story of Government incompetence with the A level results fiasco being the latest example.
Then I turned to Facebook – a former employee’s post starts like this:
I had a kidney transplant today … and my little brother is now less a kidney. I was born with a kidney defect that was diagnosed when I was 12 years-old and I was told some day I would need a transplant … I’ve lived my whole life with impaired kidney function, not that you would know it. In December 2018 my doctor told me to go home and ask my family if anyone would be willing to give me a kidney, gulp!
He was writing the post before he had the operation, scheduled for 8am today, which included picture of him – wearing hospital gown and a forced brave smile.
It turned out all his family we’re willing to help to lend a kidney and of his brothers was a near perfect match.
Next post was from a Spanish family who set up their own tapas restaurant in the office building where I used to work about eight years ago.
They’ve had a tough time ever since as Britain worked its way through the austerity years.
I’ve always felt they’ve led a hand to mouth existence but coronavirus has been the final straw.
They’re shutting up shop and giving up the restaurant business for good. Their dream is over with hard times ahead.
What right do I have to allow myself even a moment of low level depression when others have got much more important issues to deal with and here I am in a place as beautiful as this.