What a funny word. Allegorical or metaphorical, a nuanced real 'space' that holds implicit movement to there and from, which could have other uses or meanings. But then the harder thing as you get a little older, never mind cultural differences in how words are in usage, among a range of classes and backgrounds with the same people, even in one's usual people, the language may have diverged.
And then laybys if they for whatever reason have to be stopped in regularly - in my own case I choose the very quiet ones - more passing places on single track quiet byways, then one has events that happen there, in time. One day i shall write up for myself the stories of the various laybys. Sounds dull. Not at all. In fact over a few years it almost seems like a series of events happened which lead to one last meet at a layby. That meet which finishes off the last chapter. Of a book that was only temporary as it is not mine. Somehow two equals have to collaborate on ones own shared real new book. Only two people can fashion that book - the book of them. And that requires a page one.
Perhaps the trajectory, journey, just days on diversions of the person was long a parent means that they did not often have the time or space to keep up with single person developments including the regular phone calls. Over years I mean. And thus ten hour layby was so new and seemingly important and thus has to be named so for now. Writes the person who years would have welcomed a half an hour.
One thing i do know. Two years ago everybody i met in whatever setting once middle aged their standard third line in conversation had become "I am in such a hurry i haven't got time to talk ..." What a wonderful 18 months in that at least for some at last they did. It was almost time travel back to a healthier time in human affairs. I wish we could keep that but I fear we cannot. All this self importance.... such is life. And writing anything blogish is fairly 'self important' too so I must keep to just a functional poetical tones. It is hard to sum up a rather at times trying existence - quite random, never sought, and yet know full well one would not have had it any other way as especially the last three or four years all the tough periods had somehow combined to leave one much of the time really rather feeling great. And as i keep regular diaries that is no blowing-hot-and-cold statement for a warm day today to be followed by bleak cold days of nothing to say. Because one thing i am most proud of really is a constancy. I think that was earned...
