Not party to it

I give thanks for receiving my postal voting papers. So much easier than going to the polling station, but still so hard to know where to put my cross for best effect. I have friends of every political hue who must think this is very strange...I assume because they believe you can assume everything you choose to believe in the run up to an election must be true, and that if enough people put enough crosses in particular places the prize of a future faithful to our dreams will be realised.

It seems to me we all want pretty much the same things in essence, even the candidates themselves... these being: to maintain our own personal status quo, if not to appreciably improve it;  that the contents of country's coffers be used for that which we consider important, and where cuts and savings are to be made that they don't impact on services or facilities that are precious to us, or adversely affect those we hold dear... And if we all do want the same in this way, it seems pretty arbitrary where those crosses go as some will be chuffed and some will be miffed and hold the others responsible...even though they were just acting out of self interest too. And as long as we continue to do this what can ever really change?

Unlike many (if not most) I don't automatically think my wants are any more worthy than anyone else's, nor my ideas any more right, nor that if they disagree with me they are wrong...or a wrong 'un and I have a right to put them down (literally or metaphorically). I don't think I am any more or any less due care and consideration than anyone else whatever their personal habits, roots, aspirations, affiliations, abilities...and if I'm not happy with my lot (or little) I don't think apportioning blame to either other individuals or groups is at all productive, or even therapeutic. I also understand that to a lot of folk this all seems somewhat naive, if not downright nihilistic...and exceedingly exasperating to boot! But that's fine...if you want 'normal' opinion there's plenty of it about...

Anyway... Back to the gratitudes. Hmm...I give thanks for rustling up a hasty pudding last night with squashed strawberries, half a turning brown cooking apple and some out of date crumble mix. For the nearest neighbours going out just as I was wondering if it was too late to disturb them with a spin cycle on the washing machine.

Too tired to move this morning, I gave thanks that Mima planned for such a contingency and provided taxi fares for visiting Molly. For doing that which needed to be done at home and out and about as best as I could through a fog of great fatigue, and hordes of flocking tourists. For having quite a lot of pizza slices in the freezer as this didn't include managing to cook the first batch without burning them... For a quick trip to the land of nod on the agenda for when I've finished munching them...