I wouldn’t want to live in a society where I was not allowed to make choices but sometimes the options are so varied that I become a blithering ditherer.
Take books for example. Did you know that over 200,000 titles are published in the world each year? That’s a phenomenal number of actual books leaving the printers. UK publications account for about 10% of that number which is still a whole heap of books to choose from. I go into bookshops and I dither.
Then there’s the TV. To improve our reception we had a satellite dish fitted recently which means we now have over 100 channels to choose from. Need I say more?
As for food, when I was a kid we walked to the local shops every day and Mum bought what was needed for that day’s meals. Recently our local supermarket opened a new extension. I could do with a motorised buggy to get from one end to the other... and I still can’t decide what to have for supper!
This morning I walked round to the local Polling Station and was handed four ballot papers.
Ballot Paper No. 1: To elect our local councillors I had to mark three crosses on a very long sheet containing 16 names.
Ballot Paper No. 2: For the Leicester Mayor I had to mark two crosses on a moderately long sheet containing 11 names.
Ballot Paper No. 3: There’s a by-election here this year so for our new MP I had to mark one cross from a list of 5 names.
Ballot Paper No. 4: And for the AV referendum I had to mark one cross from the choice of 2, yes or no.
That makes seven crosses from a choice of 34 names. I have to admit, I stood in that booth and I dithered.
You see what I mean? Too many choices!
