The sleeping beast

On Monday evening I decided to go to bed early, and watch Where's my History? on catch up on Channel 4. The footballer Troy Deeney has started a high profile campaign to have black history addressed in the English school curriculum. Apart from the history of slavery, it's largely overlooked. In Wales, pupil action has made a difference, and there will be changes to the history curriculum from September 2022.

I texted my younger sister K, who is active in the BLM movement in Oban. I'd forgotten that she has a degree in race and ethnic studies, which she started in 1992, and that she has racist neighbours who are openly hostile to her mixed-race children. The council will not take her complaints seriously until she has video evidence. This was a long conversation. She couldn't watch the programme, as it wasn't being shown on channel 4 in Scotland.

By the time we'd said our goodbyes, it was after midnight! Indie was asleep where my feet should have been. I slept flimsily.

At work, I had my first group supervision, by Zoom. This was helpful. I've got dates for more sessions, and some one to ones. We are being taken seriously. This comes after ten years of my not being heard at all in my previous main job, so it's a welcome relief.

In the afternoon we went out to visit a gent. I'll be taking over from my colleague in looking out for him, so this was an introduction. I think it went well, and we had a lot of laughs. Someone else whom I'd called a few weeks earlier seemed genuinely pleased to hear from me today, and this was a change from the last time. I also met the doctor who will be handling the payroll while the boss is away on sick leave, and he made sure I'm on the system, as well as enquiring as to my settling in. I hope some technical issues will be resolved.

Also did some more online training. Scored ten out of ten in the equality and diversity quiz. It's the only module I've got full marks for. Maybe it's because it's one of the more relevant training packs.

At home I made sweetcorn and sweet potato soup, and then we watched the Partygate special edition of Panorama. It occurs to me that, in winter, I won't really see much daylight in my current job, if I am in my current office (which has windows one foot from the ceiling) from eight thirty to five thirty. There will be no daylight left by the time I leave work.