What do you know about Emperor Nero?
Erm…… He fiddled while Rome burned?
Sorry Mr Archer (GCSE History represent)!
A quick Google tells me the fire was known as The Great Fire of Rome and ran for 9 days from July 18th 64 CE, resulting in the destruction of two thirds of Rome.
The theories behind who was responsible for the fire vary.
Many pointing to Nero himself.
But what most of the theories from the time agree on is that Nero did little to nothing to sort it.
Playing his lyre (fiddle) and writing and singing songs.
And the phrase has become widely used over the last two millennia.
We like to think we wouldn’t do that, don’t we?
We’d sort the problem rather than doing something trivial, wouldn’t we?
But, we don’t always, do we?
And do you know what the modern equivalent of “fiddling” is?
Our phones.
And, perhaps, Netflix.
And, I get it.
I do the same.
I’m super busy this week.
As I’m writing this it’s the day before the schools break up last Thursday.
We’re on holiday “next week” / now.
So I’ve got to get everything sorted for then.
Do the normal school runs (52 mile round trip) and other logisitics.
My wife has been working in London for several days over the last few weeks, had month end drinks and more.
I need to film next month’s Session videos.
I’ve had to sort out a massive problem this by shifting a lot of things over from Excel online to Google Sheets.
I’ve got to get blogs written up to the day I get back at least.
I have zero time to waste.
So……….
Do you know what I’m super tempted to do?
Waste time.
Go on my phone.
It’s a momentary distraction from the challenges and frustrations of life.
Makes us feel a little better.
Just for a bit.
A sedation if you will.
Quietens those negative feelings sometimes.
If I could be bothered, I’m sure I could find a pretty direct correlation between my stress levels and screen time.
But, it doesn’t really help, does it?
If anything, it just makes it worse.
If our body, energy levels, work, relationships or any other aspect of our lives aren’t, at least, being worked on………..
And we’re wasting time on our phones, Netflix or anything else………
Then we’re doing the equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burns.
Much love,
Jon ‘Morpheus’ Hall
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RISE in Macclesfield was established in 2012 and specialise in Group Personal Training weight loss programmes for those that don’t like the gym and find diets boring and restrictive!
