I have come to expect that in any area that can be described as even remotely political, my views are at variance with just about all my friends, and are certainly not represented by anyone standing in my constituency for any form of office, be it MP, mayor, police commissioner, binman or traffic warden.
This means that not only I am effectively disenfranchised, but I cannot talk to my friends either.
So clearly I cannot venture any kind of opinion on whether we should stay staunchly in the European Union or come out of it as quickly as possible. I will however make one or two observations.
Most young to medium-young people seem in favour of staying in. This may be because they have never experienced life outside the EU, or indeed known that such a thing was possible. However, young people are the future, and if they want to stay in, perhaps we should let them. It won’t be long before it won’t matter to me one way or the other. In fact that day is fast approaching.
Most people of my generation want to leave. That may be something of a generalisation, but if it’s true, I suspect it’s because they resent the dishonest way we were dragged into it. Or maybe they remember the halcyon days when we made our own laws and could laugh at all the stupid things we did, instead of grimly blaming them on foreigners.
It has been suggested that we should judge the merits of our journey by looking at our fellow travellers. How can we think of leaving when Batty Boris and Michael Gove are also of that opinion? That sort of makes sense until you realise that David Cameron and George Osborne are of the opposite opinion.
(I myself am astonished at how many loud and abusive Cameron-haters have in recent weeks seem to have fallen in love with him. Will it last? You tell me.)
The idea that older may be wiser has long gone by the board – at least in our up-to-the-minute culture. It is of course wrong to say that those with more experience, expertise and knowledge are necessarily wiser, but they may not all have Alzheimer’s either. I know I haven’t. At least, I don’t think so.
So which way should you vote? Are you frightened of migrants or terrified by trade deficits? Do you think the NHS is sinking fast, or is the sky on fire? I suppose you could make a balanced decision, and vote to come out a little way and then edge back. Independence Day or Divergent? It’s tail-on-the-donkey time.
I say this at the risk of upsetting all my friends.