ABSTRACT
It's a bit like taking a group of children on a sponsored walk. We start off from the car park, more or less all together. We aim for our destination, twenty miles away, with a map and compass. We all set off with enthusiasm but, as we go, some are faster than others, some lag behind and have to be chivvied along. Some are motivated by competition — they want to get there faster than their friends, and some of the parents have invested in super, lightweight boots to help them walk further, faster. Some hate the competitive aspect and others ignore it, not worrying about how many miles they have travelled and how many are still to go. We get obstacles — ploughed over paths and the like — and sometimes we have to stop and spend time consulting the map. At various stages — ten, fifteen miles — the children can choose to drop out, and a lot do. Only the really dedicated ones make it to the end.
