Saturday 3rd December

We generally try to fill our lives with stuff to stop us thinking about anything that really matters.  Possibly this makes sense as some sort of defence mechanism, but in reality we are just refusing to face up to life.  And who can blame us, when we are nightly confronted with the looming financial crisis, and then maybe a new war in the offing against either Syria or more likely Iran, and every now and then we are reminded of the ever desperate condition of the famines in Africa, which no matter how many trade and aid deals are signed appear to be as prevalent as ever.  Is it any wonder we would rather watch I’m a Celebrity or Strictly, with their light-hearted air of a never changing world of pure fun and happiness.  And it is amazing how many people do not even watch the news on TV anymore.  It was always the most important thing we watched at Putney, Grandma demanding silence (and getting it) while Mr. Woods read the news in a solemn voice.  ‘Children should be seen and not heard’ was one of those mantras that would appear ridiculous to today’s modern families with their cack-handed attempts at democracy; actually asking small children where we should all go on holiday this year or what we should buy in the Supermarket.  In our day you were never asked for your opinion or even a suggestion that having one you might be asked to express it. ‘The very thought’ as I can almost hear Grandma hooting with derision.   But still, times have changed and probably for the better in the long run.

But why is it that we all prefer to run away from the truth rather than face up to it.   Is it that we all feel so impotent in the face of cold reality?  Is it that we feel unable to change the way the world is anyway, without realizing that we are the world, and the way we are does affect everything else.  I used the word democracy in the previous paragraph, and of course our form of democracy is far from perfect; how many decisions has this Government already taken on questions that were never mentioned in either their manifesto’s or during the election campaign at all.  We seem to have resigned ourselves to a once every five years combination of end of term report and beauty contest, where we pick the most likely looking and sounding candidate and just say ‘Get on with it and we’ll see how you have done in five years time.’

A couple of my friends have commented that the internet will change everything, and yes in theory there is no reason why in the near future almost everyone could be consulted about, well, almost everything.  And though I am sure this sounds wonderful, it would in all probability soon be overtaken by the big parties to mobilize peoples opinion, and like the National Lottery it would soon stop being a novelty but a chore, and more and more people would drop out, and the prizes diminish too.  Even now, if you look at the comments posted on the BBC news items, they are either ludicrously from cranks at either end of the political spectrum, or so ill-informed as to beggar belief.

So how do you engage people, how do you make them think about, let alone act on, what is important, what really matters?  I am afraid that like everyone else I do not have the answer. And maybe this is the true heart of the matter.  People are actually so ostrich headed, or lazy, or apathetic, or in complete denial, or worst possibility of all – so stupid, that they would rather just sit on their sofa and moan about the cost of living or the state of the world than actually want to get up and change anything.

Anyway, I must dash, I have to catch the repeat of X-factor.  Only kidding.  Hahaha