Five Nations

Saturday 31st October, 2020

I have discovered today is Halloween. I began to realise that as I walked to church. Pumpkins seem to have sprouted everywhere and silhouettes of ghouls, ghosties and ghastlies were on every window. I espied one child in a witch's hat and one door had a skeleton on it. The heavy dark clouds, the blustering wind, the angry waves of the Tay added an extra dimension to the atmosphere.

I am not sure that I like this Halloween. I believe in honouring the dead but playing with things that could be dark and troublesome does not fit with me. My Mother was psychic and had a few terrifying experiences. She also recalled the ouija board and going to a party where it was being used. She said it was devilish and disturbing.

I also recall a verifiable story of the death of two young men concerned with one such adventure. It is a little like playing with fire. Why do it? Also I have heard tales told by an exorcist priest. It simply is not worth being so stupid.

No doubt I will be told of the innocent fun of the whole event. Maybe.

The sermon at Mass was on humility, a virtue I need to cultivate. I think I know best about Halloween, Covid, the Presidential election in the USA, about Brexit and much else. In fact I am probably more ignorant than most. I do not know much about myself let alone how to control a pandemic, stop civil wars, solve the climate crisis, feed the hungry etc. So it is time to do what I can and not what I think I can but cannot.

I am not a god.

After Church I went on to the library, then to buy a newspaper. I again read it and came away depressed. As I write so a new bulletin has popped up saying Mr Johnson is to declare a lockdown of England. So will Ms Sturgeon follow suit?

Yet some good news for Scotland. They beat Wales in the Rugby Five Nations. Of course my Welsh ancestors would be horrified. However I celebrate simply so that no Scottish ghoul or trick or treaters will darken my doors and spook me.