Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 41
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[Page 41]
Sunday 17 January 1915
The usual old Sunday to-day. Church parade as usual, and, for the rest of the day, sleep, more sleep, and then a little more sleep. One of those days when you get quite an unaccountable and inexplicable fit of laziness and slackness over you. You are conscious of a desire to do something, then, just as you are on the point of getting up to do it – well you don't. You feel inclined for a game of deck quoits, you have made up a game – but ,just as you rise to start, someone says "Oh hang it all, I can't be bothered!" Everybody heaves a grateful sigh of relief. In the same instant, a game of auction bridge is suggested. Everybody is agreeable, but when it comes to the question of going below for the cards and scorers – "nothing doing". This strange phenomena is, to me, inexplicable. We are conscious of the apparent laziness, and there is a weak incentive to combat it. But our vital enegy is too slow – it cannot carry out that desire to act, to do something. This tendency is very pronounced on board. The heavy sea air is the explanation, I suppose.