Leaking Knowledge – Jenny 29

 

[For back story go here: Story so far at 17 Sept 2020 and more recent Jenny episodes.]

[For other back story click in-links]

Well this is different, I guess. Can't say it's something that happens everyday, or has even ever happened to me before. It's not something I would have gone out of my way to do either but now I'm here well... Well, to be honest is this really what I want to do? What I want out of my life or in my life? Can't really say I'm getting much out of my life at all, to be honest, I'm more just sitting here waiting for my life to take over again and something to happen. But until then... OK so until then I'm actively preventing something else from happening. Something else that could be worse – we think – if it did happen, if I wasn't actually here. In this room. In this house. Holding on to this pipe.

In finance there's usually a clear line between recording and forecasting. At least there was before all this. You can see exactly what's happened and you can trace pretty much everything to some kind of financial figure impact on the page or screen in front of you. You can then take that and aim it forward, based on what’s happening in the company and what's happened before and a bunch of other things. If you're lucky all that will mean you can turn round to someone and say with some degree of certainty, if you do this such and such a thing will happen, so don't or do do it.

Follow the science. That's what every said. Well, used to say, to some degree or other. Follow the science. But people don't like following the science in the same way that they've stopped liking experts. Stopped liking having to compromise, listen, think or indeed do anything else if it doesn't suit them and what they want to believe. They try and fix and mix the science with what they want to do and then wonder why it doesn't work.

There are non-negotiables in science, non-negotiables in mathematics. Biology. Physics. Like Claire says water will always find the easiest way to go. It doesn’t negotiate, it doesn't pay any attention to anything you want to throw at it just because you put it there and want it to do something. You want it to stop you need to block it and make sure your block is impressive and literally watertight. Leave gaps and it will work its way out. Leave the smallest of holes and you'll get the biggest of problems.

And so here we are. We create expectations, we claim it'll be alright if we just follow a few guidelines, if we're careful, if we're good citizens. But the rules have holes in them. The rules don’t even work. There are gaps between areas and tiers and regulations and...

Why is Claire taking so long..? I'm getting cramp. In my hand. And my leg. Don't think about it. It won't go away but there's no need to think about it. I'll shift in a couple of seconds and then there will be some relief at least.

Is this my future I see before me? I guess it's interesting. OK not right now, right now it's boring as hell, but take the rough with the smooth and everything and in the end what we're doing is helping people and making them happier. Or less sad. I would have thought. Even if they'd rather we weren't doing it.

I wonder if anyone outside science predicted this? Like a clairvoyant or someone. Did anyone go visit a fortune teller before this year to be told look, 2020, just forget it. Don't make plans, there's something else that's going to happen.

I wish Claire was here. Or Izzy come to that. Be nice to have someone to talk to, especially as the person who called us seems to be hiding on the other side of the house in case we've got something. Which I guess we might have and she might pick up, even with all the cleaning we do and the cleaning they'll do when we've gone.

Based on my knowledge, therefore, do I think if I take the pressure off this valve it will A – hold steady and true and keep the water in, B – leak slightly and predictably into the bucket I have here, C – fail and blow a jet of water straight across the room... Place your bets now. Actually don't. I'd rather not test this out and see what disaster I'm currently averting. The paper work doesn't predict the outcome. The outcome isn't worth risking. It might hurt, but at least we're OK right now.

And here comes Claire.

Fantastic, she hasn't got the tool she needs, can't find the stopcock and the owner isn't responding to requests for help. And now I need to hold on for longer while she cuts off the water from the mains.

Onwards and upwards.