Dangerous as it is, I have spent a lot of my two weeks leave in contemplation. In other words, I have come down with a bad dose of the introspection infection. Fortunately, writing about it would appear to be the right antedote (as well as the right anecdote), so I guess that worked out fairly well. In particular, I have been giving some thought to which of the many Daves you might know. Yes, I realise the irony of someone who suffers from a mental illness writing about multiple personalities, but I mean which part of me it is that you know, or even better, which parts.
You may know quick-witted Dave. I admit to having a relatively sharp and quick mind, and the cheek to use it as a weapon of mass mirth. I like to make people laugh, laughter is comfortable, an audible acceptance of your presence, a confirmation of your value to the gathering. You may or may not know of course, that it is also a very effective shield, an outer shell, protection.
Perhaps you know windmill Dave, the lanky opening bowler with the strange action who week in and out would bowl 12 overs straight through and puff his way through 20 fags (not touched them for 4 years now!), half the time frustrated the batsman can't find the edge, and the rest of the time pretending the long hop that took the wicket was 'all part of the plan'. I'd hesitate to suggest you know his accomplice, slogger Dave. Sadly he usually spent too little time at the crease to make his mark, or indeed take guard.
You could be one of the fairer sex and have some intimate knowledge of Romeo Dave. If so, lucky you! In love, I am changed, aren't we all? Being part of a unique sort of team, a duo, it is a remarkable state to be in, and it is a place I have visited on occasion. It has always been to my benefit, although just afterwards it is sometimes too raw to realise that, but even I (everyDave) notice the difference in myself. If you know Romeo Dave, you have a rare advantage over other Dave collectors, and somewhere I carry a warmth that is the memory of those times when we were aflame.
Then there is irresponsible Dave. Why have one pint when you can have ten? Why go to lectures when you can lay in bed watching countdown on your black and white telly? Why listen to reason when it is far more fun to push the limits? I have a daft streak as long as you like and I find it very hard to resist the most ridiculous, unlikely, risky or silly option. I'm willing to bet a number of you know this part of me, but far fewer the sullen and regretful me, wishing he had just once taken the safe option.
There are so many others that I would not have a hope of naming them all here - from poet Dave who takes comfort in the beauty of language to political Dave with his set in stone views (none of which are as set in stone as he would have you believe). There is dreamer Dave, mind wandering into fantasies he'll never realise to the me that is always there and will always listen. My point is, if you are reading this, the likelihood is that you know one, some or many Daves, and the more of them you know, the less surprising each new addition you come across. I just hope you are happy with the collection you have, because I know them all and as EveryDave it really does matter to me that you are. You might even know a Dave that I had almost forgotten about, it's always nice to remember the Daves that were.
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