Now…on the edge of Albion [musings of an aquatic ape]

To all those who have read this blog over several years, months, days, or just as a one minute visitor diverted by an misplaced keystroke, thank you. I find I have little more to say about swimming, and there are plenty of other bloggers more profuse, deep, particular or prolix, for me to feel either the need or inclination to continue prattling on.

I am mulling over the utility (or perhaps, futility) of writing about anything else. I live on the edge of England, the United Kingdom, a temporary European Union member; and Great Britain, the British Isles, Albion. A place of privilege in time. We are richer here than we have ever been in history. Our middle classes have more luxury than even the richest medieval monarch could contemplate. We have, for example, anaesthetics, dental care, antibiotics; warmth, endless food, shelter, autonomous transportation; surplus cash; free education, health care.

A place of privilege in space. The vast majority of the 9 billion people we share this planet with don’t have aforementioned services to the degree that we do.

For me, a privilege of race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, cost of education. I am a white European male. Hetero-orthodox, postgraduate. Time rich, have savings and a living pension to come.

Two things strike me at this moment. One, how do we distribute the wealth created more equitably, to raise all from hunger and lack of shelter, warmth, water, education, health, opportunity to use education and skills. And the space to dream, play and create; among other things? And two, now that we are in the Anthropocene, what are the ways we live, as people and a species, with less resource intensity and more resource efficiency; and as we adopt smarter technology?

I don’t have a coherent answer to these questions. But I shall post about them both directly and tangentially. I may not post often, as I’d rather not be at a desk for too long.