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Sunday 1 September 2013

WordPress Daily Prompt: Groundhog Day

In the comedy “Groundhog Day” Bill Murray experienced the same day again and again, stuck in a time loop until he got the day “right.” What day would you choose to repeat until you got it right? Do you think it’s ever possible to get life “right”?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us REPETITION.




Sedum


The Sedum is blossoming in my garden, a wonderwork of repetition.

My life is a Groundhog Day since being free in the “things you have to do” world. I do not have to go to work to earn my living; I am too old, removed to the trash can of life. No-one needs me to do the job. I was replaced a week after I left, being told it was hard times and we have to save.

But let us not be gloomy or despair in this new situation. I am now “free” arising around 8.00 a.m. and eat breakfast, play with my computer, clean through my living quarters. Even the cleaning through operation is a repetitive job: but wait, not always. I have a plan. On some days particular attention will be paid to a certain room, a certain article (like a window), perhaps there might be an interruption to my routine. Mr. Swiss is missing, gone on a sojourn to a far place for a music rehearsal or “to see a man about a dog” (for those that do not know – a cockney expression). Even I might be forced to go in a different direction. The doctor needs me for a check-up, or I need him because I have again had a surprise accident. I may have a dentist appointment; I might even have a social meeting with someone for a coffee in town. Life is full of surprises.

Reflecting to my treadmill days of work, they were the groundhog days. They were the days when a process of repetition was instilled in my brain. Work started in the morning at the same time, on the way drop my son off to his workplace, lunchtime in the local supermarket restaurant, afterwards a logistical shopping trip, continue with work in the afternoon at the same time and finish at the same time. The day continues at home. Prepare an evening meal and eventually collapse into an armchair with a television for company, where you might, you will most definitely will, fall asleep to awake with a shock realising it is already time to go to bed.

This prompt is really food for thought, writing this wonderwork of social science, I have now come to the conclusion that life is one big Groundhog Day. Today is Sunday, a day of rest – tell me about it. Food is not prepared on its own, and there is always something somewhere to be done. The Groundhog Sunday is born and that is not something that will change.

One thing I have in common with the Groundhog, I like to sleep. One thing I do not have in common with the Groundhog is that I sleep when I want to and not when I have to.

Those Groundhogs are everywhere, they even live in Switzerland. The name might be different and we do not dedicate a day to this animal, but they influence our daily life from the beginning to the end.

They need no day, they just exist. I can hear mummy groundhog thinking “time for a sleep” being glad that she can just relax for a whole season without having to do her groundhoggy chores, bearing children, feeding them, looking after them. Daddy groundhog is also glad that he doesn’t have the moaning and gossipy voice of the wife in his ears for a whole season. He does not have to go on a food hunt and find a mate until it is time to wake up. If he wakes up early enough he might catch a partner still half asleep and defenceless to his approaches. And so the groundhog cycle of life begins again.

I did not even find the film a comedy. It was just repetition all the time, and that is boring.


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2 comments:

  1. The Monday to Friday slog is definately like 'Groundhog Week', same thing day in day out. At least at the weekends I try to throw in some variety. Unfortunately this weekend the variety wasn't what I was looking for or expected. I have put my back out. It's really painful at the moment. Am dosed up on Ibuprofen and applying heat packs every half hour. It's starting to look like I'm going to spoil my very good sick absence record at work.
    BTW, I didn't find that movie very funny, either.

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    1. Me and Mr. Swiss send our sympathy for your back problem. Mr. Swiss because he has a problem with his back for almost a month now and knows how it is. He was more or less home bound for a couple of weeks, me doing the shopping with the car (something completely different)and otherwise doing what I could. He had terrific back pain and had an x-ray at the hospital. Result: old age, otherwise no slipped disk or sciatica. He now goes once a week to the physio. Now he can sit, drive a car and even walk, but not stand for long periods of time, hoping it can only get better and for you as well. He is on Ponstan but tries to avoid them if he can as they are quite strong. Get well soon.

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