7.30 am: A resplendent day!:

Admin catch-up. Ahead was marking, a swimming lesson, more marking, and the opening of the undergraduate and postgraduate degree shows. 9.15 am: Lesson No. 1: Pool orientation and breaststroke. I was about to confront ‘demons’ that I’d left behind in secondary school. I’ve no natural competence for, or interest in, sport. But swimming has always struck me as a rather beautiful thing – like dance. And its an excellent full-body mode of exercise. One can also, as a teacher, gain insight not only from observing another teacher in action but also from becoming a learner. I get it: developing muscle memory through repetition is the key. My mind knows what my body should do, but by body doesn’t obey. After three quarters of an hour, I was done-in: my eyes burned, my limbs ached, my ears were waterlogged, and I looked rough. I won’t be defeated, though. We Harveys persevere against all the odds; walking away from a challenge is never an option:

10.30 am: Homebase. I returned to marking. My waterlogged  left ear was almost deaf. A odd sensation. It helped me appreciate how isolating profound hearing loss could me. After lunch, I popped over to A&E for a consultation and examination. There was congestion in the ear canal. If the olive-oil drop treatment doesn’t work over the next few days, I’ll have to have the ear syringed. I can hear only in mono at the moment. I’ve also appreciated how important stereo audition is to not only breadth of perception but also to forming the deep tonalities. It’s like when one earbud drops out; the signal in the remaining ear is far less than half the original auditory experience. The doctor thought I sounded Scottish. (And they we’re from Scotland.) I’ve been told this before:

3.10 pm: Off to the School for the afternoon to attend the opening. Large numbers in attendance; much praise in evidence. It’s a time for family celebration, thanksgiving for one another, and happy farewells: