Strangely quiet, unlike myself

This is Gloucester, right next to the railway station, at about 5pm on a Thursday. Not much traffic. We're not in lockdown here. I don't know how many white collar workers are WFH. I didn't see any cyclists on the roads.

I got up early so could complete an order for cards before my (Zoom) cllass at 11. However, more customer orders kept coming through, so I jumped ship, went to my class, and returned to the order later. I got that signed off, realised I did not have time to hang up some washing I had done earlier, got a lift to the bus station, and caught the bus to Brockworth to meet Dave.

The Toby Carvery is where we meet sometimes. I don't like it much , but it's convenient. It's changed a lot since the pre-CoVid days, but it's better, I think. I had too much food, and sorbets too. Had forgotten to bring an aromatherapy potion for Dave. My recent cold virus has kind of wiped some of those small reminders from my brain.

All would have been fine if Dave hadn't mentioned his train tickets for an upcoming journey. He wanted me to double check some times. I suggested he could book the tickets via an app and collect the tickets from a machine at the station. He said he couldn't be bothered with all that malarkey. We looked up the times anyway and ended up buying e-ticket on a website, but then found he couldn't log in to the app! I was running late for my bus by then. I wasn't being nice to him, because I was frustrated, but had to rush off ...

The bus didn't come, and it didn't come. Eventually I checked some times I'd written down earlier and realised that there was a kink in the timetable and I'd missed it by at least ten minutes! Decided to catch a bus to Gloucester instead. Tried to get on before the other people had got off (whoops!), but it was ok, we got to Gloucester, where I got straight on a bus to Stroud, and the views were charming, except for this forlorn hotel. In Stroud I had time to buy a few essential items, but when I tried to access the public loos, I found they are only open between 10 am and 4pm. That's some cleaning time...

Had to go to Waitrose for the loos, and some bargains, that I lugged up the hill home. Phoned Dave to provide tech support. After about an hour, all was resolved. I'm not cut out for this tech role though. At one point when his laptop had got stuck in the spinning pizza wheel of death, I suggested jokingly that he should throw it out of the window. Thank goodness he didn't. He is apt to take things literally.

My problem is this: I want to be a digital ambassador. I do believe that those who say "I can't he bothered with all this stuff" may find themselves permanently excluded from large chunks of day to day living. Another lockdown would exacerbate this trend. But I haven't had the training. I can't see other people's screens. Older people (I'm 56) can be resistant to change, especially those who also have autism. God, give the serenity to accept the things I can change, serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I have a letterpress poster of that serenity prayer somewhere. My printer friend and I are both veterans of Al-Anon. I must find it, frame it, and hang it in a prominent position.

Meanwhile, it is 9 pm and I have hung up the washing, indoors.