COP26 Protest

When a friend asked me if I wanted to come along to the COP26 protest with him, his family and friends, I was initially reticent. I thought it would be a white family affair, and as a single non-white person I would feel out of place. But, then I decided to go along just to do something different this weekend. My initial suspicion was right, and the bike ride to the centre was very much a white family affair and I felt very much out of place. But, things got better after that. It was interesting to observe what kind of people were there, what protest signs were they carrying, etc. And, it was nice to be around kids for a change. On the way back from the protest we stopped over at a pub for beer and snacks and we had a very pleasant time. I had plans to work on my PhD as well as prep for Monday teaching, but I didn't do either, and I am glad I didn't. I needed a break. I have realised that forcing myself to work just means that I end up whiling away a lot of time, so I am going to consciously try to work fewer hours, and see if that boosts my productivity. There is all this talk about showing up everyday, but someone like me doesn't need to make an effort to show up. Someone like me has to make an effort to not show up and avoid mental or physical burnout.