I was pondering this morning about the various changes that have occurred in the body since I have turned 80. Of course the changes have been happening well before that age, it’s just that I was not aware of them. But then very few of us are. Those little aches, or fleeting episodes of concerns that we dismissed at the time, or simply overlooked, have a specific cause. The causes are more fully exposed to us as we are inevitably referred to consult with doctors and physicians at various hospitals. Our GP is merely a broker who takes down the details and passes us on to the most appropriate department down the line. To us, we are hearing a diagnosis as if for the first time. There are many things that happen to us for the first time, but for the experienced physician it is far from the first time they have delivered the news.
Indeed, how they deal with the matter is what distinguishes one doctor’s bedside manner from another. One has to remember that there was a first time for them delivering the news. The frequency with which they do that must clearly have an impact of some kind. They must bear in mind that it is the patient’s first time of hearing whatever it is they have to reveal. This can be awkward or pleasant depending on the adept empathy of the carer and the comportment of the patient. The two go hand in hand.
It is all to do with how we approach the first time. Many things happen to all of us. Most things that happen to us are of a similar nature, so there is nothing unique. We are mostly aware of things happening to other people which have not happened to us, but we are reasonably certain will eventually happen to us. When it happens, it will be for the first time. How we deal with the first time makes all the difference. Will our behaviour and deportment be like everyone else, or will it be different? We think it will most certainly be different, but will, like as not, be the same as many others. Again there is nothing unique, save, for us, it will be the first time.
Our lives are crowded with incident and first times. Indeed, when we wake in the morning it is the first time we have opened our eyes that day. As to that, who was it who said “This is the first day in the rest of your life” for the first time? There are any number of truly first times that have affected us all. Someone somewhere spoke intelligible words in the form of a sentence. Someone created an alphabet of sorts and started writing. The first person to create mayonnaise or jump from a high place using a parachute never did it before. All inventions are first times, although some are merely evolutions of other objects. The mobile phone and most digital technology are instances in point.
One has to marvel at the thinking that gives rise to first times. What was the spark that induced someone to presume that separating an egg yolk from the egg would be appropriate to combine with an oil and emulsify it into a sauce which could then be flavoured with any number of herbs or juices. Is that too a matter of cooking evolution derived from the first time any human being decided to use fire to fry or boil a piece of meat or vegetation?
Along with first times that are also ‘only times’ and ‘never once’s’. It is something else to ponder. “The only time I….” and “I never once…” are phrases that one utters in sadness and regret or with joy and relief. It is not something one can be indifferent about. There are some only times that one looks back on with amusement even though they were not particularly pleasant at the time. These tend to end up as stories one dines out on and do not necessarily paint one in a good light. It’s all in the telling. There are some first and only times that are so similar they fall into the character of déjà vu and clearly suffer from too much repetition. That is the nature of getting to what is popularly classified as old.
So I enter the labyrinth people of my age step up to. I watched my parents and in-laws managing the terrain, and perhaps should have paid more attention. I can’t say that I should have known better, as there was, after all, a distance of thirty years between us; however, on reflection, that is a pour excuse for a lack of empathy. I did note that my father-in-law, being a medical man, did have moments of extreme lucidity and objectivity during which he described some of physical and mental incidents that were happening to him. He kept his good humour throughout. There was some dementia to a small degree, but that made little difference to his social and communicative skill, save for the retelling of some of his stories. Indeed, in the telling, there was always something different and when he lost the thread, having gone off on numerous tangents, he would pause for thought, and after a silence (sometimes quite long) he would say, “Ah yes ..” and the story was back on track.
In short, there is never a time when there are no first times, which ought to make things more exciting and give one a perpetual feeling of looking forward with gladness. Unfortunately there is so much crap being thrown in everyone’s face at the moment, it is difficult to find any glee. The quantity and quality of my observations are not as acute as my father-in-law’s as regards my physical being, and politically we were at opposite ends of the spectrum, but. so far as religion was concerned we were probably on the same page. I can recall a time, not the first time, sitting in the dining room with my father-in-law at the house in Wells, Somerset, finishing off a glass of something. My sister-in-law’s cat was visiting and at that moment came into the room with a mouse it had just caught. It was doing unspeakable things to the poor mouse, much to my horror. My father in law commented “God made that”. One had to laugh.
One could say the same about what’s going on round the world at present, only it’s not so funny. The first five commandments have been well and truly shattered. For too many people it’s their final first and only time. That’s a first time that should not happen until we are truly ready. To call it ‘God’s will’ is itself a blasphemy.
I continue to ponder.
This morning I have looked at a couple of pieces in the Guardian. The first is an editorial headed The Guardian view on environmental protest: dissent is vital to protect democracy and the second is an opinion article from Rafael Behr titled The Trump revival will force Starmer to acknowledge the sheer folly of Brexit.
The editorial can be found at:
The Behr article at:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/24/keir-starmer-donald-trump-special-relationship
Mr Behr subheads his piece with the comment “It’s hard to imagine the vindictive despot and the former human rights lawyer enjoying a ‘special relationship’”. Indeed it is difficult to contemplate; however, views being expressed by some politicians from all parties tend to eschew comment about Mr Trump and move straight on to the necessity to take a firm but friendly approach to dealing with Trump. In any event, to not be antagonistic and to take a firm advisory stand in any direct dealings with Mr Trump. This is what is being suggested by some “because, despite one’s feelings, to openly criticise the President of the United States would not be politically efficient” and any President of the United States does have to be dealt with.
So hypocrisy reigns supreme in British government. Expressing a preference about the choice of President is hardly interfering in the American elections. Mr Trump is openly antagonistic towards Europe generally, and so far as I am aware the United Kingdom is geographically part of Europe. To not make comment about his boorish and narcissistic arrogance is feeble in the extreme and only feeds his ego. This is the problem with his acolytes. As to his relationship with Mr Putin, it is quite clear that Mr Putin played him like a fiddle with flattery and bonhomie. One only has to listen to Trump to know what a fool he is, and completely unsuited to be the president of anything. He does not read. He does not enquire. He makes no attempt to learn. He merely pontificates about how hard done by he is, and as a side issue, how he can save the world in 24 hrs. He has no interests in anything outside his immediate sphere. He is a buffoon. Why political leaders and representatives should pussyfoot around his ego is astonishing.
His presence however, causes anxiety. The world does not want him. The Maga group of republicans surely cannot be so numerous that there is any chance of him actually being elected; yet, here we are with him riding high on the news. There is a cohort of representatives in the United States Congress that for some obscure reason supports him, which clouds the issue. How does he have such a gangster like hold over them? Unfortunately this coming November election will be a turning point for us all. I can only urge and hope all those having a vote in it will do the right thing.
One should not forget that four people have already pleaded guilty to their part in the Georgia case to overturn the 2020 election, which is tied to Donald Trump. They will also be giving evidence at trial. These are a few quotes from newspapers in the US.:
Scott Hall, a bail bondsman, pleaded guilty after being accused of conspiring to unlawfully access voter data and ballot-counting machines at the Coffee County election office on January 7, 2021. He will receive five years of probation and agreed to testify in further proceedings. He was also ordered to write a letter of apology to the citizens of Georgia and is forbidden from participating in polling activities.
Sidney Powell, a public face of Trump’s attempts to challenge the election results in 2020 and 2021, pleaded guilty Thursday. The former Trump attorney will avoid jail time but agreed to testify as a witness and pleaded guilty to six misdemeanours for conspiracy to commit intentional interference, downgraded from felony charges she had faced.
Kenneth Chesebro, a less public face of the effort, was an attorney who helped engineer the fake elector’s plot. He pleaded guilty Friday to a single felony, conspiracy to commit filing false documents. He’s also likely to avoid jail time.
Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She had been facing charges of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer, both felonies. She rose to speak after pleading guilty, fighting back tears as she said she would not have represented Trump after the 2020 election if she knew then what she knows now, claiming that she relied on lawyers with much more experience than her and failed to verify the things they told her.
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| Jena Ellis on entering plea |
One has to ask why would these highly educated lawyers together with Mr Hall pleaded guilty and offered to testify unless there was some clear evidence to back up the indictments? Wake up America, wake up and smell the coffee.
I note that his family no longer step up and campaign with him. Some may make comment now and again, but none are out there front and centre. I only hope there is still sufficient intelligence left in America to vote him down.
As to the matter of protest, I refer back to previous blogs in which I have commented on the dangerous path towards authoritarianism this government has taken.
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