"show me some ingenuity!"

today on radio four at around mid-morning was a weekly show about 'work' and its varying wide-scale problems and pitfalls. this week's episode particularly focused on sickness and taking time out of work. the presenter exclaimed in his introductory splurge that the average number of sick-days per british employee in a given year is SEVEN, yes that's SEVEN days. he sounded truly horrified.

a lengthy discussion ensued between several guests on the programme, one of whom put forward an eloquent arguement about over-all health, and how if a person feels unhealthy on a certain day and feels sure that they would benefit from a day at home, then should this really have to be for reasons of 'sickness', bound within the confines of medicine and medication, of something quantifiable - i have a bad headcold, i have an upset stomache etc? and if it amounts to only the odd day every now and again, then this personal choice to restore and preserve oneself should be acceptable - that in fact our national concern over the need for a collective 'work ethic' is a discriminatory and largely unnecessary idea.

others argued that this is merely laziness and a distinct lack of responsibility, shirking the benefit of the majoirty in favour of the pursuit of one's most selfish desire to stay in bed, which can surely accomplish nothing and benefit no-one.

i listened intently to this debate, from the delicious warmth and comfort of my duvet, safe in the the knowledge that i believed myself to be unhealthy when i woke, late, at 7.45 this morning and made the split-second decision that i would opt out for today, that having lain awake til three am last night, i would surely accomplish nothing and benefit no-one by forcing myself to be wrenched from the rest that i had finally achieved.

i stayed in bed, friends, and i am not ashamed of it!