Getting Out

It was easier when Ailz was working towards her OU degree; then we had a compelling reason to get out of bed early at regular intervals and go into town and be edified. Now we have to create our own motivation- and our own programme of events.  But- as I've found by digging around (which the Internet makes so easy)- there are plenty of occasions for edification out there. The Whitworth gallery (my favourite gallery in the region) has a programme of Tuesday Talks- featuring biggish names- artists, critics and gallery folk- and most of the other local galleries and museums lay on something similar. Then of course there are all the exhibitions- which are constantly changing- and all the fixed things- stately homes and churches and  monuments-  we still haven't visited. Really there's no reason- except sloth- why we shouldn't do something cultural once or twice a week. 

Yesterday we went to a Tuesday Talk. The speaker was Roderick Buchanan- a Glaswegian artist who mostly does installations and videos. He's currently working on a commission for the Imperial War Museum- looking back at the Irish Troubles through a study of Catholic and Protestant marching bands. I didn't fall in love with his work, but I found it interesting and engaging and he's a lovely man. Besides, the point was simply for us to be there- and not sitting at home in our dressing gowns. 

I've seen how old people dry up and curl in on themselves- I don't want that to happen to us.