Walking and talking

Wednesday, December 9th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Sub-committee yesterday with H. Sullivan here as to signalling order to evacuate. I found he knew more about handling populace than anyone I had yet met. He said: "I ought to have been chairman of the committee." He was right. I have to say that it all seems very unreal to me. Here we are talking about evacuation in the event of a German invasion as if we will be able to control and direct what people will do. It should be obvious that if there is an invasion then people will do whatever seems best for them and their families, and blow the directives from on high. Typical of the patronising approach the nobs have to the working class.

Out walking this morning. Mild and breezy. Quite enjoying the winter so far, but it will inevitably go on too long, as it always does. Talking as we walked about character and personality. I suppose they are inextricable in the sense that personality is the outward manifestation of character. But what is character? Didn't find a satisfactory definition of that. Nor did we quite decide whether there are aspects of personality which are unchanging through life. Possibly the caring instinct which most women (and a few men) have. Thinking about my own character, I like to think that I have been pretty consistent, but time focuses one on the essentials, perhaps having a corrosive effect on finer feelings such as the common good.