I hate joggers more than ever

Empathy and kindness in these difficult times come more easily to some than others, but I’m trying. I had heart surgery in November to repair a faulty mitral valve. Recovery has been terribly scientific. On my daily walk, a heart monitor is synched with an app on my phone so through earphones I can hear my heart rate as well as encouraging messages in a voice I find indistinguishable from the American cultural critic Bonnie Greer. Mainly, my walk is spent suppressing the inner Nazi who can’t believe the human race still refuses to be more like me. Particularly at a time when good manners and common sense are now a public health issue. The people ambling down the middle of the pavement or stopping in doorways to chat like they’re in the closing credits of a film called A Wistful Stroll Through Memory’s Non-Pandemic Meandering Bimble are really challenging my composure.