Tonky Talk
I t’s early winter, and we still haven’t put the heating on in the house. What started as a vague aim has formalised into a grim battle. On cold mornings, we rush to the shower, heat up in there and then pull on multiple layers, shuffling round the house in jumpers, snoods, occasionally a coat. It’s like après-ski without the ski.
On an evening, you’ll find us watching TV under a blanket, seeing our breath plume in front of us. A large part of this is fear of the bill – times are tight, wages are tighter and with prices going up, the last thing you need is to be quaking with fear when the envelope pops through the door. Part of our approach is a vague Blitz-like spirit. At parties, mates regale us with energy-saving tips – the wisdom of investing in an electric blanket, the virtues of air fryers. It’s like a reverse status update – everyone’s boasting about how little they spend on energy.
Little did Putin know that in threatening our energy supply, he’d provoke a tsunami of frugality that may never subside. Gone are the days when you’d wake up and reach for the thermostat. Looking back, those days weren’t that great. Often, the house would be too hot and I’d get drowsy. I’m busier now; I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence or just too cold, but I’m kipping less and working harder. Then it hits me one day, as the kids come in and start moaning about the lack of heating – we like discomfort, or, at least, an element of discomfort adds to the quality of life.
We get it wrong most of the time. We aim for comfort and it bores us to tears. The joy is in the struggle. A friend recently took early retirement, selling his business for an incredible amount of money. You’ve guessed it – in the months since, he’s been lost. There’s no struggle to his life, no meaning.
He perked up after embracing the philosophies of Wim Hof �
