 As I look towards the sea and the gentle fishing boats, a wheeling tern plunges into the sea and emerges holding a tiny fish in its beak. I watch gulls in the gentle breeze, swooping through a cloudless sky.
The peacefulness is just what I need as I let the serenity wash over me and calm my stressed-out mind. I’m not sure how long I sit there but enough to feel renewed and refreshed. Then I come home and stupidly turn on the computer to be greeted with more ‘News’ of the day. Nothing makes sense anymore. Once upon a time Australia had a Prime Minister who believed in ‘the brotherhood of man’. He had his faults, but he remained as a man of compassion and fairness. With this man’s death two months ago, we have been awakened to a huge gap; we’ve been reminded what a country’s leader can be – and could be – and could DO. Unfortunately, we have no one of this calibre – in our country or in anywhere else - that I can see. Australia has a Prime Minister with no vision and no decency. He is a man following the Trump program of fear of ‘the other’ as his main emphasis. A man claiming to be of Christian faith who displays not one ounce of Christianity, as he uses tactics to scare the populace with his plans to ‘make the country safe’, by refusing settlement to refugees and continue building up military defence, spending billions on worthless, outdated submarines and jet fighters. The needy in our country are neglected. The poor, the disabled and the homeless are of no consequence. Needs of schools and hospitals are ignored. Aged care has been transformed into a money-making venture by businesses that harm and rip off the elderly. The government is seemingly corrupt, with tax-payers’ money being distributed to shonky companies, who no doubt help fill the government’s (and its members) coffers. Meanwhile, the GREATEST challenge of all, CLIMATE CHANGE and how to deal with it effectively is relegated to a place of ‘we’re doing well’, when we are so obviously NOT. Whatever happened to leaders who believed in ‘the brotherhood of man’? There is so much anger, ignorance, resentment, fear and misery being dished out by world leaders today, it is very disheartening. When I was a schoolgirl, many moons ago, we used to sing a hymn (yes, I know school kids no longer sing hymns, but we did). The words of the hymn become a bit ‘schmaltzy’ but, considering it was written in 1848, it’s not so surprising. It begins with the words, ‘Oh, brother man…’, which is what made me think of it as I wrote this. The final words of the hymn are, ‘Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger, And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.’ I don’t suppose there’s any hope of that happening today. Perhaps I should go back to my seat by the sea.
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  A couple of weeks ago someone claimed that the downturn in the national economy and the slowdown in retail sector sales had little to do with people having less to spend but more to do with the ban on plastic shopping bags!
This was supposedly a serious comment! They said that, since the ban on plastic bags came into being, especially in supermarkets, shoppers could only buy as much as they could carry in their hands and therefore could not spend as much money as previously. I don’t think I’m the only one to think that such a statement is ridiculous. And, if it were true, then what a pack of idiots ordinary shoppers must be! There has been a definite slowdown in spending due to a lack of disposable income in many areas of our society. So, perhaps we should look towards the Government and its actions or inactions and not blame it on the excellent and sensible idea of banning the cursed plastic bags. I have included pictures of the fabric bags that reside in the bottom of my handbag when I set off to the shops. It’s not hard to carry a few lightweight bags such as these. In the boot of my car are some larger and stronger bags if I plan a bigger shopping expedition. I have been doing this for several years and it has not killed me. Get with it everyone. And, while you’re at it, please try to follow this good advice I read as a comment in The Guardian (30.6.19) by someone calling themselves ‘Petriix’: “Buy less stuff! Reuse, buy second hand, repair, make do with what you have. Buy ethical, local, sustainable etc. Turn stuff off when not needed. Turn the heating down and wear more layers. Drive less, walk and cycle more. Take local holidays…” Come on, people. Stop whingeing and making excuses. Contribute your little bit to help save our poor planet. |
