Out walking. Suburban roads and not the park, for ‘tis the weekend and I must leave the open-space greenery to those without gardens.
The film ‘A Star is Born’ is mentioned in passing on one of my regular podcasts. Perhaps tiring, and certainly becoming a little footsore in my unaccustomed sandals, on a whim I switch to Spotify and hurl myself into the depths of ‘Shallow’, risking a return to the madness of March 2019 (remembering this). No, no, no – I will not go there! I am stronger now, maybe? I wrench myself from the shallows and – because I read in the paper today that Graham Gouldman will be 74 this weekend, oh lord how can that be? – I switch to 10cc. ‘I’m not in Love’, ‘The Things we do for Love’ – Eric Stewart had the sexiest voice (so I thought back then, and it still sounds good to me now).
Then I move, teenage-chronologically, to a Genesis track that I recall listening to endlessly on headphones lying on my bedroom floor. And yes, the refrain of ‘Undertow’ can still reduce me to tears even whilst marching perfectly happily towards home. Or rather, limping slightly with a massive blister – maybe it’s that?
Whatever. Typically, I immediately encounter a neighbour and, still with tears in my eyes, we discuss – six foot apart – the social distancing arrangement in the local pet-shop.