Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

The clouds obscuring the moon are blowing from the Arctic. Theres a chill in the air. Not enough for snow, yet, though. The flights in the distance climbing into the ceiling, up beyond the layer of cloud, to pure night beyond. They’re heading east, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, for a new tomorrow, sunrise over Ulan Bator. A new life in a far off land.

And me? I wonder what happened to my bright new future?


Well, at least I’m still alive…I didn’t start shaking ’til I got home. Gotta love the A14 – solid traffic til midday. Then my journey home, following someone being a bit hesitant about accelerating on the slip road. Lorry bearing down behind me, the car started indicating to turn off, then didn’t, just slowed down, so I slowed down but the lorry wasn’t. I’d made a plan to hit him so the lorry had another couple of foot to stop in. He turned the *wrong way* onto the sliproad out of the petrol station, just in time for me to accelerate away from the lorry before he got me – six inches, maybe. Too close for comfort – and time to make a will.


I wish I wasn’t quite so socially inept. But I also wish that carol singers wouldn’t come to sing at me.