Today's grumble

I am fortunate to have the perspective of a 'service provider' and all the joys and challenges it brings. Technology is excellent in helping to bring about more joyful moments but when human error comes into play, technology can be destructive for a business.

I have been guilty myself of not correctly updating contact information on all of my social media platforms or creating email diverts and missing the emails all together (the latter I was able to salvage thanks to a very understanding client). These things happen and it is difficult to estimate how much such mistakes may have cost in bookings, leads, collaborations, etc.

Today's grumble however originates from my perspective as a consumer. A few days ago, I booked a treatment online. I received the automated confirmation email and an automated reminder email a few days before the appointment.

The Caribbean Wellness Day on Saturday was incredible - spending the day giving treatments and meeting amazing people.

My phone had become an extension of my arm and the constant notification sounds, flashing lights and vibrations had become addictive. I feared my happiness, sadness, anger, compassion were being dictated by an algorithm. Real, heart-felt interactions were being replaced by miscommunications and misunderstandings.

It is written in many self-help books and spoken as a mantra in many weepy rom-com movies that, "you cannot truly love someone else, unless you learn to love yourself". But what does this look like? How long would you last in a relationship with yourself? Maybe the mantra should be rephrased, "you cannot truly love someone unless you have been in a relationship with yourself" 

My ego is too frail to admit that being in a relationship with myself would not be that healthy. We would spend far too much time losing each other as we get distracted by things in parks, stationary or hardware stores. Arguments would be conducted in a silent passive-aggressive tone and one of us has to be more serious than I am.  

The practice of detoxing has of late taken a bit of a knock. The idea of detoxing is often associated with the tree hugging hippies, high on magic mushrooms, dancing around a fire naked. But detoxing or cleansing in its various forms, has been practised for thousands of years (clothed and naked) for health, spiritual and religious purposes.

Growing up, my family would often travel to Barbados and we would visit our many, many distant relatives in the parish of St. Andrew. Driving through this lusciously green and still parish we would pass an unassuming stretch of land my mum would point out as the Conrad Hunte Cricket Pitch. Being young, and not particularly interested in cricket, I didn't think much of it.

It wasn’t until this year, watching the England cricket tour of the West Indies, that I started thinking about those trips and the great West Indian cricketers my dad would recall. I got hold of a copy of Sir Conrad Hunte’s autobiography Playing to Win published in 1971. It details his cricketing career as an opening batsman for the West Indies from 1958-1967. During this time he played 44 Test matches amassing 3245 runs at an average of 45.06 - placing him in the annals as one of the best opening batsman for the West Indies, if not of all time.

From the last century until today, cricket has been plagued with politics. The West Indies Cricket Team is no exception. In 1960 Hunte played in the first Windies team to be captained by a Black man, Frank Worrell. His appointment was championed by the historian and cricket commentator C L R James and echoed a rise in the Pan-African Movement that saw many Caribbean islands gaining independence from European nations.

Flicking through my old diaries has given me a renewed empathy for young people navigating their way through the tortuous teenage years.

I guess the first thing to consider is what do we mean by 'emotional' and to what level can we express them. Stomping to the corner of the office and sobbing uncontrollably - possibly not. Or the recent case of the man in Liverpool who drove a digger into a newly-built hotel reception, causing extensive damage and possible harm to others - no. But we are human and certain elements of our psyche do not switch off just because we are at work. In fact, the workplace may emphasise the emotions we desperately try to hide.

To the week that was.

Once I drove to the Peak District with the intention of visiting a very specific location within the 554.83 square mile national park. I entered the details into Google Maps and after a stress-free journey, I arrived at the Peaks but couldn’t find the spot I wanted to visit. After a few minutes cussing to my phone, I realised that I was in fact standing in the exact spot I wanted to visit. I literally couldn’t see the woods for the trees. The journey only improved as I found a free parking space a few minutes away from the visitor centre which was pay and display (I love free parking - another story for another time).

The festive season can be a stressful time of year for many people - with family obligations (despite how much we may love them), feelings of loneliness, financial worries, etc. 

Running through the park in the rain towards about 100 Park Run runners who looked at me as though I was lost or crazy. It made me recall a conversation I had earlier in the week with a small but ferocious young woman about the fact that not everyone will see the journey you have decided to take.

A cold car boot sale in Cambridge, an incredible event hosted by the beautiful and talented Candice Bryan of Noire Wellness and welcoming a beautiful soul back to London.

More than a quarter (26.2%) of days lost through sickness absence in 2017 were attributed to minor illness (such as coughs and colds). This adds up to 34.3 million days per year.

The cold and flu season is upon us, and unless you plan to spend this time travelling to work and sitting in meetings wearing a hazmat suit, you will need to take some action. As well as the usual good hygiene tips, there are some simple things you can do which were proved effective by somewhat unsavoury characters.