I have seen various posts written by individuals and on behalf of organizations with sentiments of ‘happy new year – a fresh start’, ‘let’s make resolutions’ and so on. All very positive and uplifting. I must admit that I dwelt on the negative as I looked at the year past (and further) and speculated on the coming year.
Austerity is all set to continue as we are divided into the deserving and the undeserving – if people are poor it is their own fault -they do not work hard enough, they cannot manage their money – they have too many children – are they really disabled. People who are fleeing for their lives are just coming here to scrounge because we are a soft touch – ridiculous rumours posing as facts tell of the easy life they lead here. There are too many immigrants, they are taking all our jobs (and women presumably) and, though no one want to say it (because I am not a racist) they are brown. All these perceptions can be dispelled by a small amount of research, but those who point this out are not heard. As for Brexit…
Instead of protecting the weak our newspapers and politicians encourage us the tear and claw at them. We are kept divided and dividing, though politicians are then surprised that their pleas to ‘come together as a nation’ fall on deaf ears.
Of all those who volunteer in their community and get no material gain I have a question ‘why continue with trying to make life a better place?’ I can see the attraction. It is less effort and less of a trial. By and large I don’t even see evidence of a smug self satisfaction, usually it is a ‘matter-of-factness’. The answer I have is simple: determination. It runs like this.
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There is a problem that needs solving.
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Somebody must do something.
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That person is me.
As I wrote, its simple. But profound. What would life be on this planet without people like that?
I do not want to imagine.
