Found emotions

The other day Oblong and I had to go to the House to speak to someone from British Gas who was going to do a survey to see whether we would be eligible to have cavity wall or loft insulation installed for free, to help improve the energy efficiency of the building. Unfortunately, and what hadn’t been mentioned when I called to book the survey, was that they can’t make an assessment whilst any renovation works are being done.  Since we are still having the electrics overhauled, and there are quite a few other things to be done before its habitable (replace the kitchen, replace the bathroom, do some basic decorating, etc), the plan was a bust, but once things are more sorted, we will try again.

Returning home, we decided to take a detour and walk around a couple of back roads that might provide a shortcut when on foot or cycling.  The path on one side, down the hill, took us along the top of a park I have passed often but never been to the back of, behind a small industrial retail park, and along behind disused barracks.  On the higher side of the road were quiet residential homes.

On top of a couple of structures on the lower part of the hill, were a couple of things that made me inexplicably sad: Abandoned toys which had evidently been lost or thrown away for a considerable time.  Moss and algae grew on the back of a forlorn, drenched teddy, and a wheeled toy was amongst empty bottles and other rubbish strewn on the corrugated metal rooves.

When I left university in the evening however, I came across this, nearby the Student Union run coffee shop on campus – Room 76. It made me more happy than it ought, but I do enjoy a good (or awful) pun.

I enjoy unexpected emotions sourced from my environment; they remind me I’m still feeling and able to experience a normal range of emotions – something that can altogether disappear in times of depression.