In the mud, again

 Posted by at 4:30 pm  Anti-Gravity Surgery, Exodus  Comments Off
Sep 262015
 

Splat!

Of course governments of whatever colour don’t like democracy – not really – only as a PR jibe against other governments that appear less democratic than themselves. One could think of the current state of democracy (say in Europe) as an achieved benchmark or high water mark – achieved so far in the teeth of the wrath of unelected dictators, war lords and other unpleasant people with an eye to power. But actually we are merely on the naughty step at the bottom of the stairs. A bit like Jeremy Corbyn we need to insist on our right to stay on the naughty step and not be persuaded by the honeyed advertising-speak of slimy lawyers or fuck-a-pig Camerons or even Os-don’t believe a word I say if you’ve got any sense-borne.

What do you think? Is it time that we took a step up? It is true that to build a democracy we have to spend time on the naughty step, maligned and hated, yes, in the gale of abuse that hurtles down on us from our betters. And, yes there is a need to heave ourselves off the naughty step and up towards a greater sense of agency in a democratic setting. 

To not only survive the abuse but to shrug off the bad mouthing (at best) and climb hazardously on to the next step. Dizzying stuff, I suspect.

Where am I, do you ask?

Probably asking myself, do I dare get back on the naughty step and be seen, perhaps even with the mud washed off.

Reaching down for the stars

 Posted by at 10:53 am  Anti-Gravity Surgery, Holy Fool/Hero  Comments Off
Sep 192015
 

I watched in some wonderment to the results of the Labour Party leader election results last Saturday. Could this be the sign of an emerging and long awaited sea change in the political life of this country? How can we continue with a professional class of politicians who are merely advertising industry stand-ins or cunning lawyers who are happy to swear to anything . . . and look, up pops this Corbyn guy who has been respectfully ploughing his course as a member of parliament for thirty or so years, maintaining a principled stand. Surprise surprise we (well, many of us) like him and what he is saying and voted for him.

What can he do now? What will he do now?

It seems he has already achieved a great deal. And I’m watching with excited anticipation and some trepidation.

After the first week Corbyn seems to be finding his way but there remains in me an anxiety about how on earth will he tolerate, to survive the onslaught of the right wing media blitzkrieg? I would like to fast forward a few years to see what he has managed to achieve.

Meanwhile back in the tortured flesh of real life . . . there is still some bleeding, presumably from the prostate, following the TURP op, now more than a week ago. On Monday I am due to see one of the district nurses at the surgery who will remove the catheter for another try to see if the machinery and its reflexes will cooperate in its water control functions. Alone I am finding it difficult to maintain the feeling of being on top of things. But how can I when there are these vital functions that I have no conscious control over? The nature of the body and the life that flows from its being will at some point remove from the created ‘me’ life itself. No longer allowing this me-thing its illusions of control. 

Meanwhile keep up the yoga practice.

 

This anchor

 Posted by at 2:48 pm  Anti-Gravity Surgery, Atelier  Comments Off
Sep 012015
 

This anchor, abandoned in quiet retirement, to return to air, within the aroma of the sea, the occasional wetting from rain and sea; to be reminded of its past lives. The caress of a rope, the curiosity of a bystander caught by the glimpse of a monster from the deep.

Is retirement a collective decision? The community decides that there is no longer a role for the potential ritiree as he (let’s agree that on this occasion it is a man) wanders aimlessly, perhaps scanning situations vacant, but the world has passed him by. “The world” is interested in other things, other dreams; he no longer looks the part of someone who can take to the stage.