Friday afternoons

I have a rule to avoid e mail and phone calls on Friday afternoons.
If people are unhappy about anything, that's when they get in touch and then I spend the weekend or holiday feeling rubbish, well used to, I'm a recovering worrier. After all, I'm not living in a war zone and my shoulder is getting better.

There was the Friday afternoon before a half term where a Father berated me for the fact that his son's blazer had gone missing - remind me not to hide the pupils' stuff.... shouted at me for a goodly length of time and then put the phone down on me. That was a few years ago.

The Friday afternoon when someone complained that the walkman (see how long I've been teaching,) that should not have been in school got broken in my lesson. Not me guv'.

Then today. So I went and had a chat with the Deputy Head and that should get sorted out as much as it can on Monday, because the underlying problem is out of the school's hands. This sidetracked me from the real task of the day, pressing submit on the Associated Board entry, closing time midnight tonight. I was just about to do it when I read the e mail. Fortunately, I can get at the entry at home and the 38 candidates are now entered. This was all in between being part of the audience for an A2 candidate's recital, overseeing an AS Composition recording, doing a timed techniques exercise with another AS Candidate, ordering some music after checking the BWV number in Grove and doing a String Orch rehearsal. Not all bad, by any means.

Oh yes and someone had a spare ticket for a Dress Rehearsal at Covent Garden tomorrow morning, so I shall be enjoying my slightly restricted view by looking at the orchestra. OK I am very lucky, all things considered. :-)

PS My cure for waking up at 4, 3, 2am worrying about stupid things that will in all likelyhood will resolve in due course, is to say the rosary for anyone else who could possibly be being kept awake by something serious
ie dying, in terrible pain, on death row, in fear of violence, hungry.....the list is endless.
That is not to say it's a case of ...other people...zzzzz, just the need for a bit of perspective.
The crazy thing is when something serious actually happens, I sleep fine and get on with it.