So

 I've been thinking for a long time that so is a lazy stupid word with which to begin a sentence; most of the time. So I was pleased to hear a listener to his film review show  on Radio 5 complain to Mark Kermode about his use of the word to begin too many of  his sentences. The good doctor didn't disagree but neither did he promise to desist but used the excuse that it gives him thinking time before he spouts forth.

Even the mighty Melvin Bragg is not immune, though not that he himself would be so lazy, but many of his guests on his Radio 4 programme, In Our Time, professors mostly, are quite prone to use the little word to start their sentences. What next? Will we hear them "touching base" or "giving heads up" or even telling each other "whatever"?  So come on Melvin, when you've read this, get them sorted.

There is, of course, one exception to the rule re so. There usually is one. And I refer to that great Pink Floyd song, Wish you were here, one of my all time favourite songs which I've been listening to a lot recently, as it seems to fit my many differing moods. One of the best versions is the David Gilmour acoustic, unplugged one which is easily found on you tube and which I see has been viewed over 13 million times, just a few more than have read my blog.

The song begins with the word so, twice. Nothing else could have done the job, so my rule is not definitive. It goes:

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain........

And finishes:

How I wish, how I wish  you were here....................The same old fears, wish you were here.

My next dose of intravenous chemotherapy is tomorrow at Western General. Been for my blood test this morning so lets hope for better result from that. I had a call from a nurse at the Cancer Centre to ask me if I was still OK for tomorrow. I took the opportunity to ask if the delay in treatment this past week would make any difference to the effectiveness of my treatment. She was unable to give me a positive answer, though she did say this kind of delay was not uncommon and they have spoken to my oncologist who has revised my dosage so hopefully no further delays.

Apropos my last posting, my friend Jane, tells me that Alan Bennett said, after he survived cancer, that he did not "fight" cancer; he resigned himself to his cancer and let the medical treatments fight it. Like Jane says that seems like the rational , unsentimental way to approach it.