Thursday, 9th November 2006.

"Forgive everybody everything" is the advice given by the elder man to the younger in the book, "Tuesdays with Morrie". Ultimately, of course, there is no other option if one is intent on a life of joy and laughter, free of grievances and resentments, and for some time I've been an avid student of the act of forgiveness and its effectiveness in promoting happiness and well-being. As an aid to study, life obligingly presents me with ongoing opportunities to practice and test my theories, the latest being offered to me by my dog who busied herself while I was out and chewed up a recently acquired DVD of "Little Britain". I messed around for two hours, refusing to follow the beckoning hand of forgiveness, holding off the moment of surrender with Vicky Pollard type "Yeah but no but yeah ..." protestations. In the end, I was absent from the act of forgiveness because while I was busy on the computer the dog had sat beside me and I absentmindedly stroked her head without realising I was doing it. Forgiveness had taken place without my permission and it felt like one of those weird orgasms that kind of happens without one noticing it until it's over and there's a sense of having missed out. Obviously, like the orgasm, the dog couldn't wait any longer

Travelling over the Harbour Bridge today I thought, as I often do, how amazing we are as drivers - seven or eight lanes of traffic, thousands of vehicles racing along, overtaking and changing lanes and accidents few and far between. The accidents get all the attention, of course, and the news media loves to tell us over long weekends and holidays how many people have been killed - in fact, it seems to be a bit of a competition between the States - will New South Wales win again this time? To give us some perspective we really need to be informed about how many drivers arrived safely at their destinations - several million, actually. The Harbour Bridge still has a couple of toll gates where one can hand over real cash to real people though we are gradually being coerced into obtaining E-tags. I like the brief exchange with a human being, fingers brushing together, a friendly greeting, a smile, a nod -and I also like to pay for the vehicle behind me once or twice a week. The man at the toll booth likes this too and grins as I hand over money for two vehicles because he knows the consternation that is about to occur when the driver is told I've paid his toll for him - we have become unaccustomed to acts of spontaneous kindness. I suppose if the authorities find out what I am doing there will be a law against it in no time.

Time for vino tinto - all hail the great god Bacchus!