Keep going...

Saturday 20th February, 2021

I have given up on weather forecasters as last night I was informed today would be wet. Then later it was changed to dry with showers, then it was to be a fine day and finally at 9.15am as I prepared for breakfast and for a walk to buy the newspaper I was informed again that there would be a high chance of 'precipitation'. It reminds me of the constant ups and downs of politics and public statements over the pandemic. Or am I just cynical? I looked to the BBC news website and all sorts of intriguing stories were on it from a Trade Union taking Ms Priti Patel to law for a reversal of the Prime Minister's support for her over allegations of bullying and breaking Ministerial codes, to Ms Sturgeon being possibly also guilty of breaking such a code over the Salmond allegations of sexual misconduct, to the Minister of State for Health being responsible for illegal activities with regard to contracts over PPE purchases. There was much more but I am saddened by it all as we seem to be in a state of amoral politicians. Am I wrong?

On my afternoon walk, sadly a little damp with drizzle and a shower or two (!), I bumped in to a friend walking her dog. Her daughter has been sectioned for mental stress and incapacity. We spoke of politics as she has been trying to lobby for more mental health funding. She has met politicians of all parties and finds many words but few deeds. I am unable to comment and I hate the false rumours, the unknown speculations and the sheer debunking of all political activity ( which I may add to myself). My own experience, even today when I sent my MSP an email, is that both the Scottish Parliament and Westminster Parliament local MPs are prompt in reply and action. Their hands are tied, their magic wands do not exist and their positions can be tenuous. So I try to learn to live without cynicism even though I rage at times at the horrors allowed, the actions not taken, the opportunities squandered and so on.

Reading later in the afternoon I came across this lovely quotation from Margery Kempe in 1667 " More pleasing to me than all your prayers, works, and penances is that you would believe I love you", which she attributed to a vision of Jesus. I am now aware that I am ignorant of the ways of God and often of Man so I opt to trust those words reported by the widow Kempe. I do rage, as I have said, but I also trust. My rage is against those things that need not have been done by man or which were perpetrated by man and were wrong, damaging, destructive, selfish and so forth.

To my amazement having purchased the Telegraph, a newspaper I am prejudiced against, I agreed with much in it concerning the lockdown and coming out of it, concerning Ms Sturgeon's approach to the pandemic and much else. It worries me that I relish opinions I agree with and which endorse my prejudices rather than rejoicing in reading of those ideas which challenge me. I did enjoy reading the obituary of a Mr Alford who was, it seems, an eccentric inventor of devices which counteract terrorist IEDs and such like. He seems to be one in a long line of such inventive English geniuses. I also enjoyed reading of Lord Bird, the man who invented the Big Issue, who has been trying to get more done to prevent poverty rather than react to it. Then this afternoon a Virtualtrip session in Edinburgh watched by my landlady produced a heartening realisation. The guide revealed that he had been homeless many times himself, that the tips for this trip would be going to a Charity for the homeless whose work he then described. He went on to mention 'Invisible Cities' another site for such tours which specifically raised money for this Charity. There is so much good going on...people care and people work for good, surely even politicians.

My afternoon walk was with my litter grabber again. Sadly I did not feel much energy but managed to galvanise myself with anti litter bug enthusiasm. I met a few acquaintances but most had obviously read the weather reports and decided to hunker down! Life!!

Mingyur Rinpoche writes of awareness. This awareness can be while one dreams when asleep and through it one can achieve extraordinary feats. I do not understand it and have not, as yet, tried to fathom or experience it but his ideas and experiences continue to fascinate me. To face life as it is ( even though it is not substantial or even real as we westerners think ) is his way to awareness and ultimately enlightenment and an escape from the constant recycling of our lives. For me to face life is to face the reality of a journey through suffering, experience, joys and all the tumult of human existence to the ultimate which makes one free. The ultimate is love. The definition and reality of love I know not but hope to discover and trust to the Being who spoke to Margery Kempe. On the way we meet and live and experience and muse as I have today and as have you. Keep going, keep trusting, believing, hoping and accepting what it.