Was Plato really an Uber Eats Delivery Guy?
The Sunday Best Round Up #31
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Twas a January Sunday morning.
Cold, grey but thankfully not raining.
So that was nice.
Met up with the sea swimming ‘boys’ for an 8am flip off.
Our normal 5 minute swim followed by my 4 obsessional obligatory underwater handstands.
North…
East…
South…
South
Nah, West really 😁
Just checking if you was actually reading.
You was?
Good.
Thanks for your precious time.
I’ll continue…
So yep the sea swim was done-th.
Felt proper “no feet no fingers” cold for a few minutes whilst drying off beach side.
This time of year I have the full Alpha male look when getting changed.
The ultimate in “don’t mess with me I’m tough” gear…
My pink hot water bottle.
But no, don’t be rude, it doesn’t ACTUALLY have a fluffy cover with a glittery heart.
I know you were thinking as such!
Nope this is a basic boiling hot water bottle no frills.
A MAAAAAN'S hot water bottle except… well… maybe it's a bit … well… pink.
Funny story about the colour pink (said like literally no one sane ever!)
I was literally FORCED to like pink.
Not in any kind of major cult trauma kind of way.
Nope ‘twas one of my daughters.
For several years, when she was younger, she forced this destiny upon me:
“What's your favourite colour daddy?”
“I dunno probably black or red”.
“No it's pink “
“Not really darling I prefer less bright colours”
“Nope you like PINK!”
Cue an exceptionally hard stare of Paddington-esque proportions from said daughter.
My voice would then become less sure, a little shaky:
“Dddddddd… do you know what my love maybe it is pink after all”
“CORRECT answer daddy”.
This played out regularly, as I tried to assert my masculinity and choose powerful dark colours.
But it was all pretty pointless really.
I was never going to be a match for a headstrong 6 year old with very clear ideas about colour schemes.
(Actually scheme - as it was all pink really).
But she definitely won and it changed my destiny a bit.
I do actively chose pink items now as an, alleged, grown up.
Pink swim shorts.
Pink swim towel.
Pink socks.
In fact I got a pink Indian football (soccer) team top from my eldest son last year.
Which felt like a cruel mixmatch of my former masculine football fan self and the more modern, pink choosing, feminine dad, that I seemed to have been forced at Barbie point to adopt!
Anyway I need to get back on track here…
Where the Ken and Barbie matching double dungaree set was I?
Oh yeah just had me sea swim.
To follow was a trip to Wetherspoons with the chaps.
A low budget pub chain that does all you can drink coffee, and grease dripping with breakfasts…
It was my downfall a few weeks back when I overdosed on refillable coffee and lost the plot slightly.
This week I was more reserved using the decaf option wisely whilst still getting my ‘fill’.
But is that of interest to you?
Well I doubt it tbh but the conversations at the breakfast table may be.
One guy was sharing about his new puppy dawgs.
He loves having them but the constant clear up of their bodily functions, and their propensity to eat all the clothing in the home, were giving him a bit of an existential crisis.
“What have I done??!!”
Once this was discussion was over, I took the floor and shared all the fun things I had in store that weekend.
My wife was away so it was a never ending list of taxiing the kids around, cooking, cleaning, and my particular favourite; managing the emotional needs of my teenage daughters.
Love them to bits, but even now I struggle to understand half their issues.
Maybe it's because I'm a bloke.
Maybe it's because I'm old.
Maybe it's because I'm bald.
Actually it could be that last one…
Because tbh about 47.93 % of their issues do appear to be in relation to their hair.
The style, the colour, the feel, the length, and the challenging question of if it needs washing tonight.
All of which I have littled lived experience of!
Maybe it’s a combo of all 3 being an old bald bloke.
SIDE NOTE:
My daughter bought me a t-shirt for Christmas with the Aldi supermarket sign on it with the word “Baldi” in it’s place.
Genuinely the best gift.
Like.
Ever.
Proper proud dad moment!
Anyway after my rant share a couple of the other guys described the fairly low key events they had planned for the day.
Listen to some radio.
Read a book.
Quick tidy round the house.
A chilled out Sunday.
They are at the other end of the spectrum domestically speaking.
Living alone.
No one else to please.
Marching to the tune of their own drum.
Which in the moment of my “omg look at my over bulging plate of life” seemed just like PERFECT.
But the muds never greener on the other side.
For me the ideal is about a bit of head space and “me" time.
Though after diving into various Buddhist teachings of late I’m not sure there really is a ME anyway.
Which appears cruelly ironic, and just my luck, that the 1 thing I’m so desperate for doesn't exist anyway.
FML as ‘they’ say!
On the flip side my single living pals said that whilst that whole master of your own destiny thing is pretty good at times.
It can be sometimes… well lonely.
So looks like you can't ‘win’ there either.
Anyway to sum up.
Being with loads of people sucks after a bit and so does being on your own.
So…er…like… we're all pretty screwed really whatevs!
Or maybe as a compromise go get a dog.
Though second thoughts they're bloody annoying too.
And that folks is your low brow philosophical tale for the day.
I’m not entirely convinced Plato, were he still alive, would be worried for his job prospects quite yet.
Though in this made up scenario, where he did become unemployed, I think he'd be a helluva Uber Eats driver…
Pizza and deep Greek life chat would be a great combo (particularly with extra mozzarella and jalapeños).
Anywhoooooooooo… that's literally enough nonsense waffle now.
BFN.
Happy Sunday,
JFT Beach
Note I shared on Substack this week:
Article I Wrote on Substack this Week:
Discover The Dalai Lama Secret for a Longer and Happier Life at My Local Beach... Part 3
5 Health and Wellness Articles I Enjoyed on Substack This Week:
To The Woman Who Couldn't Hear The Birds - This article is great reminder to pull of the headphones and hear the birds (actually and metaphorically). A ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ moment for the ears. Great writing from @Sophie S.
Awakening from the Zombie Shuffle -
shares his version of The Walking Dead in his local Starbucks (gives all the images of a skeleton drinking coffee that leaks out through the bones immediately!) A call for greater connection…Reasons to swim in the sea - Well I was super-excited to read this great articulation of why cold sea swimming is so life-affirming. Beats my general explanation that “it’s proper yummy innit”. Even more excited that they are literally 40 miles down the coast from me in Brighton, and I am in Brighton Library as I type this, on a 1 night mini break, see you in the ocean tomorrow guys - maybe! Thanks
What the West Gets Wrong About Mindfulness - Thanks to
for schooling me more on the roots of mindfulness and it's truest forms. I've come to it late in the game - exactly how she describes it in Western practice; through podcasts, Youtube and apps! It is amazingly helpful but I am also reading and learning more of the basics of Buddhism, yoga nidra and such like as I find that fascinating too, so hope to ground it as a practice for life. This is a really great read.What a Buddhist Monk Taught Me About the Importance of Continuity -
This is a good article from
On point for any of us Substack writers - when we consider the need for approval (likes, comments, restacks, subscriptions, are all currency here that we go chasing!) I like advice to pause, ask questions and be more conscious as an antidote. Thanks for this I'll share a link in my newsletter tomorrow.Just adding a super late chart entry here… How Teri Leigh Grew Her Substack In 12 Months Without Growth Hacks from Teri Leigh 💜 and
- A MUST for any aspiring Substack writers.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s newsletter,
If you did, please do me a favour and re-stack it, or add a comment below. OR JUST LIKE… Y’KNOW… DO BOTH 😁. I’d REALLY REALLY appreciate it.
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To Lazy Sunday Afternoons,
JFT Beach
PS Thanks to the following for… well… following!
Yep this week the following lovely people have started following me on Substack thanks to all of you
I thoroughly enjoyed this!!! Your daughter's gift was next level EPIC!!!! 😂
FML, as they say. Hahahha - Yes. Who am I???? 😂
Thanks for all the smiles!
Love this slice of life - from pink hot water bottles at cold sea swims to managing teenage hair crises. Sometimes, we idealize the other side, but really, there's beauty in both the chaos and the calm. Hope you have a good week ahead :)