PLAYING CECIL'S ADVOCATE

I don't know who Cecil is. A few weeks ago I had a conversation with someone when I tried to argue the opposite of what I actually think, in order to draw out a reasoned, well-rounded response.

Unfortunately, auto-correct got a bit carried away and I ended up texting:

"Don't worry. I'm just playing Cecil's Advocate."

I feel sorry for Cecil - he clearly has horrendous opinions, and by arbitrarily sticking up for them in order to generate conversation, I may have passed them off as my own. Don't judge Cecil though - technically, auto-correct made him up.

Anyway, I found myself again playing Cecil's Advocate today. It ended with me suggesting I should eat lots of pizza, get fat and spotty and not be bothered, because 'Man looks on the outward appearance; the Lord looks on the heart.'

It didn't work. That person thinks I'm letting myself go because I've misunderstood the Bible. I very nearly sent back a picture of yesterday's green smoothie just to prove I'm not actually on Cecil's side.

Speaking of smoothies, I went Yellow today - banana and melon. I know, I know, the nutritionist says 3 out of the 5-a-day should be vegetables but I had loads of melon left over and the bananas were starting to go brown.

And in fact, blending them to a pulp didn't exactly stop that process! Today's smoothie started out yellow but was browny-grey by the time I got to work. Junko said I should add some lemon zest to prevent that happening next time.

Pizza never changes colour, says the unhelpful part of my brain. It sort of does though.

About an hour after the conversation, it occurred to me that my friend might well have also been playing Cecil's Advocate and might just have been deliberately goading me into a response. Clever! They didn't say so though.

I wonder whether Cecil really needs advocates sometimes. It would be courteous of them to (at least) wear a label, otherwise none of us will have any idea where we are.