Do you have a phobia? I’m a bit scared of heights but so are many other people. Robert is terrified of spiders. A bit off-message but I had a dream a few nights ago in which the Prime Minister was X-raying my teeth. He impressed me by calling me Christopher, not Chris, he didn’t put on any dog about being PM and looked pasty (as my grandmother used to call me) – that’s dreams for you.
So where are we? I’m thinking about the way our brains work and we think and remember things. On the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, a chap was interviewed who opined that the most efficient way to execute a task was to start early, pause and finish much later when you’ve thought of a few more good ideas. He thought he had discovered something new. He hadn’t. Anyone who does crosswords knows this already. Actually, anybody who does anything knows this. It is always best to make a start on a task, although you may think there are obstacles to bringing it to a successful conclusion. Somehow, completely unconsciously, one’s brain works on the job. You look at the crossword again and can unravel the clues that had defeated you a few hours earlier.
My point is that there is a heck of a lot going on up there both while we are asleep and while we are awake. It is as if our brain is an iceberg and the bit sticking out of the water is our consciousness but underneath there is a massive, complex machine processing data that has been received by the tiny bit upstairs on the day shift.
If you agree with this proposition your life may become a lot simpler. Don’t throw your hands up in horror at an apparently insuperable task. Make a start and then keep going back to it until it’s done. I was never aware of this at school, probably because there wasn’t time to reflect, but these days this mind-set serves me well. Two recent tasks that initially seemed complicated are now close to being concluded. They both needed to be approached in stages and the way forward only emerged once I’d made a start. I will probably tell you about both – when/if they are concluded. Meanwhile, a big hello to Micky Dolenz, swapping his drums for tambourine, in Winthorpe and enjoy this slightly weird video that may, or may not, help you understand your subconscious.