Captive Learning

Lessons I learned during my captivity:

The back door which can stick and remain unlocked even when you close it only needs a small gust of wind, when your back is turned taking out the recycling, to do the job.

It is possible to be both locked in and locked out – locked out of the building and locked into the car park.

It is hard to break into and out of our centre. I tried.

When things don't go according to plan sometimes I should go with the flow rather than fight it. I need to choose my battles.

Young people like Ricky will go out of their way to help you and in this case purchase for me a Guardian and bottle of water and check later to see if I'm ok.

The Guardian can pass an afternoon of captivity very nicely.

Captivity is better in sunshine.

Tshirts rip quite easily when you are hot or if you want to avoid the 't-shirt tan'.

A newspaper can be a cushion against the arm of a hard metal bench.

Sandals can smell.

People while laughing at you can also sympathise.

I needed a break.

It is good to stop and sit and read for a few hours in the sun…and I should do it more often.

It is good to be free.

It is good to be able to laugh out loud to yourself when you are in a predicament.

It is good to take your watch off and not count the minutes or hours.

I also learned:

• Roughly 100 Britons a year die from diseases caused by Subeds (Guardian)
• There have been 3583 recorded pirate attacks around the world since 1992. (Guardian)
• Bow Street Court saw its last cases this week including that of a woman who was fined for sticking cards in phone boxes and her blu-tac confiscated. (Guardian)
• Sadly I also learned that honour killings are still rife and not just in farawayforeign countries but in here in the UK in Middlesex. (Guardian)
• Money in education is being spent on a school fingerprint recognition entry and exit system trial!(Guardian)

Not bad for a 'wasted' afternoon...it was quite an education.

What I appreciate mostly from my afternoon of captivity is how fortunate I am that I have so few worries and that I am free.

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.

Albert Camus