The rude and primitive material of daily life is but a rough-hewn rendition of the sophisticated and classy expositions which so often follow from ignorance with education. That is, we generally improve with time. But we mustn’t ignore the raw material whence it derived. Nor specifically overlook the gritty side of humanity. The earthiness need not be vulgar; perhaps just innocent.

Nothing sobers reality like an annual visit with one’s family physician.  It’s time again for some legitimate intimacy with a stranger. It is an oddly sanitized reunion.  The pretence of entitlement. It is a reminder how devoted we are to ceremony and expectation. And how we rely upon paternal wisdom and science.

I prefer not to dwell upon the pandemic.  Last night in a serious television programme the physician warned that other variations of COVID are possible – not only theoretically but perhaps already underway.  It is unimaginable how this might affect our universe.  I suspect however that it would be only a short while before capital channeled into new commercial vehicles for profit. The infection may even engender yet another growth of technology and employment. The common denominator may be bubbles or isolation of one description or another. Believing as I do that the banking and insurance industries are responsible for the lion’s share of worldwide business, the deprivation of human contact is at least not entirely poisonous. Already many, many businesses have translated to electronic communication at every level.

In the end Darwin may turn out to have been right.