The Solitude of Public Holidays

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This morning I went for another run and I thought about how a few weeks ago we had four groups of 10-20 hikers each, and this weekend we had none. From one week to the next the social hikes vanished. They always vanish during public holidays and weekends. It could be because those that organise public events have family obligations.

The result is that this weekend I could revert to running twice in three days. My fitness can start progressing slightly. At the same time it shows the fragility of group activities. From one week to the next you can be stuck in solitude.

Although I write about solitude I chose not to go for a group run on Saturday morning and I chose not to go on a group hike on Saturday during the day. I wasn't in solitude. I went to the cinema in the evening rather than out during the day. I ran locally so my carbon footprint was lower. I also tested e-charging while watching a film.

Another factor, this weekend, was the weather. For two days out of four rain was forecast, and it was forecast beforehand too. When rain is forecast, and snow, people tend to stay in, rather than go out.

I could have organised one or two events too, but I chose not to.This morning it rained, and then when the rain stopped the wind started to blow. People would have seen the rain and chosen to stay home.

It's an interesting irony that when we have four days of "freedom" people chose not to do something social over three or four days. Imagine a four day hike, for example. If the weather had been better people might have.