Commuting

On average (allegedly) a person spends one year's-worth of life commuting.  I think that means in the UK.  It must be seriously skewed by the poor souls using the M25.

 

Someone remarked to me a few days ago,

"I suppose one of the best things about your job is that you don't have to travel to work"

 

 

I'm not convinced about that though.

It is true that it is only fifteen minutes walk from house to church (last church 10 minutes, one before that 5 minutes so it's getting longer . . .). 

 

It is also true that technically my home is my place of work - though if I spent the month there without leaving it is hard to imagine getting approval from the Church members.

 

A local pastor toddles to and from the local hospital(s) and places in the local community and people's living rooms nearby.  By apparent contrast, Hudson Taylor, the great missionary pioneer of Christian faith in China, travelled for the equivalent of 4 years of his life on a boat.  John Wesley racked up an average of 4000 miles a year.

 

Perhaps it is more profound than that.

 

On Sunday morning we read a little of Pilgrim's Progress.  Bunyan's contention is that life is one long commute.  What sets a pastor apart - even from the itinerant missionaries and evangelists - is that a pastor travels not only his own commute but the commute of hundreds of others.

 

No wonder it never feels as though life is standing still.

Two Months back in London

So, what's been new about being back in London, two months on?

Here's five things:

1. Akee and Saltfish for breakfast

This was a first for me:  there are other ways to get it such as flying to Jamaica where it is a National Dish but one of the beauties of London is that the world comes to you instead of having to travel the world.  Akee and Saltfish was on offer at one of our local church's Prayer Breakfasts and it's very nice (as long as, like me, you like fish!).  Well, didn't Jesus serve fish for breakfast by Galilee?

 

2. Flight Tracking

Ah yes; not only can you sit in the garden watching the planes overhead approaching Heathrow - these days you can use the FlightRadar app to identify every passing plane and its flight route.  A dangerously addictive practice on a warm summer morning.

 

3. M25 monitoring
Of course there are apps to do this but our bedroom window works as well even though we are miles inside the motorway.  It's quite complicated but here goes:

a) When the northern section of the M25 Motorway is badly congested - especially in the rush hour if there is an accident, the traffic tries to get round London on the next best road, the North Circular. 

b) The North Circular is too busy in its own right, but especially so a mile north of where we live where it both narrows and (after being like a motorway) suddenly requires a right turn at some traffic signals.  Not good.  Very not good when there is extra traffic.

c) The extra traffic tries to avoid this gridlock by using two roads that are even nearer our house.  These roads in turn have traffic lights and are usually congested.  Now they are mega-congested.

d) To try to make some progress some more enterprising cars and vans try using nearby streets to at least get 10 or 20 vehicles ahead in the new gridlock. 

So when our usually quiet street suddenly has several cars using it, it is as good as certain that miles away there is a problem on the M25 . . .

4. Instant Recycling by White Van
The day we moved into our house there was a broken washing machine to throw away.  Everywhere else I've lived disposal of this would require spending money for the local council to take it away or finding a generous-hearted friend with a pickup truck or trailer.  We were advised to simply put it on the pavement (sidewalk).

Within an hour a van passed by, then stopped, and a man asked, "Can I take that?".  It was in the van in seconds and gone.  Whenever you walk up a residential street there seems to be something outside to be taken - this morning a fireplace up the street.  Later on it is always gone!

5. Council Plums
Granted this is a suburb thing, but it is fairly amazing to me that some of the trees in the streets near us are plum trees.  You have to negotiate squished ones on the pavement but also you can take unsquished one home to eat!  Thank you, Haringey Council!