‘Glad you’re comfortable,’ I said. It was Sunday evening and Trustafarian, looking rather disheveled with unkempt hair and week-old stubble, was picking his nose while watching the golf during our Skype call.
‘Can you see me?,’ he replied, flushing and moving his hand to his lap. I had turned my video off in an attempt to improve the reception so he’d assumed I couldn’t see him.
‘How was Belgrade?,’ he said.
‘It has a good heart with a not-so-great exterior – the opposite of Paris, I guess.’
‘That’s what I thought of Bulgaria.’
‘What were you doing in Bulgaria?’
‘Skiing.’
‘I would have thought Whistler or Aspen would be more your scene.’
‘None of my friends want to spend much money.’
‘So what restaurants have you checked out recently?’
‘None. I hardly go out anymore. Most of my friends are married with kids so have little free time.’
‘Perhaps you should make some new friends?’ I suggested.
‘I have enough friends,’ he replied, stifling a yawn.
Rather than white water rafting, swimming with sharks or hand-gliding, most Brits consider getting an unplanned takeaway as their idea of risk-taking, according to a survey by Spread Co. And apparently us Londoners are the most stuck in our ways, with 47 per cent having been told they are boring on at least one occasion. Having caught up with Trustafarian, I was amused (one in six Brits think eating something past its sell-by date is among the ultimate risks someone can take) though unsurprised by the results of the survey.
Maybe this is just what happens when we hit our mid-thirties – we cling onto familiarity while we simultaneously have to keep up with the world’s technological advances.
But I’m a great believer in being open to new people, places and experiences. ‘Love and be curious,’ as my favourite florist Orlando Hamilton says.
