Lost and Found

It has been a strange week of lost and found.  Last week we heard the news that an elderly aunt had passed away.  Aunty Jenny was only one month from her 100th birthday.  Then on Tuesday I received an email from a cousin telling me of the passing of another cousin, Henry.  It seems sort of expected and not quite so bad when the person is of a previous generation but when it happens to someone in your own generation, even when in their late 70s it feels a bit close for comfort.  Death does not concern me as such but is something you don't really think about until a moment like this and you are suddenly reminded of your own mortality.

Henry was one of my husband's many cousins who with his English wife came back to live in England around the time that we did in the 1970s.  He and his wife used to visit us often especially in the last years before my husband died and were a real source of comfort and support.  So many memories came rushing back to mind.

But on a brighter note, on Saturday we met up again with the cousin and aunty we re-discovered earlier this year after so many years.  Aunty Betty is now our only living aunt.  On Friday, my elder son arrived for a long weekend visit.  My sister and son who also live in Yeovil also came for lunch, so it was a day of meeting and re-encounter.  Strangely my cousin’s wife didn’t come as she was meeting up with a cousin of her own who emigrated to New Zealand in 1974 and was over to the UK on a visit.   She was having her own re-encounter.  It was quite a day full of chatter trying to close the gap and catch up on the intervening years.  It was a day we plan to repeat in the not-too-distant future.

Yesterday I continued to enjoy the company of both my sons.  We had a trip out to the small town where my husband and I spent the first 6 months of our marriage before sailing off to Argentina for the next 10 years.  We drove up the street where we used to live – another re-encounter with some distant memories.  We continued a couple of miles down to the coast and as it turned out to be rather cloudy at first, my son got out an umbrella he kept in the boot of the car – just in case.  On our walk around the bay we stopped for coffee and were going back towards the car when I realised that I no longer had the umbrella.  We retraced our steps to the places we had been but to no avail – lost!

In the evening we went into town for a meal and found a Mexican restaurant we had never visited before.  The tasty meal was a lovely end to a rather mixed lost and found week.

Missionaries

I have been greatly encouraged lately hearing about young people with a heart for missionary work.  It took my mind back to the time of Albert Schweitzer and his work in Africa.  In those early days of missionaries, they went simply to serve the people and help them in their need.  Those like Gladys Aylward who served God in China, totally identified themselves with the people they lived amongst.  They didn't go out with the idea of some project for the church back home.  They felt God's calling to serve those among whom they lived.

Gladys Aylward

Sadly since those days the whole idea of missionary work has, in some areas, changed its perspective.  Some think of it as a form of outreach to expand the limits of their denominational empire.  It has become more about projects and programmes, large crusades to increase numbers in attendance.  Sometimes it is used as a step on the ladder upwards in church heirarchy.  It has become more and more about giving a glowing report of what has been achieved and being able to calculate success in some numeric form.  But happily I am aware of other ways of working.  My friends in Latvia are among those who live among the people as they live.  They don't have mission targets and are not sponsored but live as those around them live.  I have another friend who goes for 9 months of the year to Nicaragua to work among the families who live off the rubbish tips and try to get the children into education in order to improve their prospects in life.  I could mention others around the world, just going where God has called them and living there and asking God what He wants them to do.

Working on the land in Latvia

I am also following the blog of a local doctor who has taken a 3 months sabbatical and is currently in India helping out at the local clinic and working with people in the slums.  I am encouraged as I said at the beginning because God has a way when we mess things up and go off the rails a bit, he stirs the hearts of others to go out and just do things differently - simply wanting to serve those who are there without any over-riding plan or trying to prove that they have been successful.  How can you measure the success of a friendly smile to a child living in poverty? How can you make a helping hand in a time of need count in some numbers game?  God is alive and at work but not always in the organisational or denominational plans and projects.

Alien?

I have come to the conclusion that I must be an alien. It seems that you must be interested in sport in order to be considered 'normal'. I am not! I would rather take a long walk in the countryside and watch the wildlife or sit and read a book than watch sport. Up to now this summer we have been bombarded with headlines and television programmes about the European football, motor racing, tennis and many more and we still have the Olympics to come.

Don't get me wrong, for those who are interested in such things, I'm glad when they do well after all their training and hard work and the effort they need to put into achieving good results. But, for me at least, that is not the be all and end all of my life. There are headlines in newspapers saying that we are praying for someone to win. Really? I guess I should be happy that they are praying but can't help asking 'Is this what Jesus meant when he told us to pray to Father?'

What about the person or team who lost? Are they not worthy of God's compassion? Does God appreciate the efforts of one country more than another? I pray that those who pay hard earned money to go and see sporting events, have an enjoyable day. I pray that those taking part will not be seriously hurt in the process. I pray for fairness and good sportsmanship and good and cordial behaviour among fans. And I pray that the person or team that proves to be the best on the day, wins.

I admit that sport is a very healthy pursuit and good for you - if that is what you like to do. But just because I don't does not make me weird. So this evening I am going to enjoy the last in the Chris Packham series 'Secrets of our Living Planet'.

The Untouchables

The title of this blog entry is the title of a film I remember seeing quite some time ago.  It was about the American Federal Agent Eliot Ness and the story of how he sets out to stop the famous gangster Al Capone.  Al Capone and his mob thought that because of their intimidation, force and control of unauthorised business dealings that they could do whatever they wanted as the authorities couldn't touch them.  In the end he was taken to court and subsequently imprisoned, not for his illegal gangster activities but for unpaid tax.  He was not, after all, untouchable.



Kevin Costner (2nd from right) in the role of Eliot Ness in the film 

Throughout history we have heard of people who have thought of themselves as untouchable.  The Caesars of Rome claimed to be gods and that whatever they said must be done.  They could decide a person's fate simply by the hand gesture of 'thumbs up' or thumbs down'.  Most of them, however, came to a very sad end as did the whole Roman Empire.  History is littered with stories of empires that rise and fall.  Even in recent times we have seen systems of government that ruled with an iron fist but now are no longer in power.

Over the past few months there seems to have been a plethora of revelations about irregular dealings by politicians, the media, the global financial system, multinational companies and pharmaceutical claims.  Much is spurred on it would seem by sheer greed and power.  Maybe it's time that such people read a little history and learn from it that no-one is untouchable.  The phrase 'How the mighty have fallen!' comes to mind. (2 Samuel 1:19)

For my convenience!

It's strange how we can be all for something until it actually affects us in some way.  For online banking I have a card reader that I need to use in order to avoid anyone hacking into my account.  That is good! ... ... until ... ...  something goes wrong.  For those unfamiliar with such gadgets, you put your bank card into the small opening and put in your PIN.  Then there appears a number on the small screen which you copy into the correct place on the online form.  That is fine as long as the number is clear.  But lately my card reader has become ever more unclear to read.  The other day I must have misread the number and so it refused me access to my account.  I tried again and was told that access to this account was now unavailable for security reasons.  What?!  Now what do I do? 

If this had happened when someone else was trying to get into my account I would have been very happy.  But not when it was me!  I was given a phone number to use to apply for a new card reader and for them to unblock my account.  I was asked if I minded answering (a whole string of) security questions to ensure that I am me.  Of course not - that is what security is about, isn't it?  When asked what payments had been made in the past month from my account my first reaction was 'If you allow me access to my account I could tell you!'  But then thought of the regular monthly outgoings with dates and amounts.

I now have a new card reader and all has been rectified really without a great deal of problem, I am glad to say.  I have also made a list with pen and paper of all my regular outgoings with dates and amounts, just in case I need to have the information again but you can be sure that now I am ready, it won't happen!  But I had to smile at myself.  I am so pleased that online banking makes it difficult for anyone other than myself to access my account so why was I getting more irritated by the minute until it was sorted?  It seems that I like things to be all tied up neatly and secure as long as there is no inconvenience to myself.

Connections and Interdependency

Lately I have been watching a series of programmes called ‘Secrets of our Living Planet’ where the presenter, Chris Packam shows and explains just how all of creation is linked.  It has been amazing to see how the huge brazil nut tree depends on an orchid growing out of its branches. A particular species of bee lives solely off the orchid while the female of the species seeks out the nectar of the flower of the same brazil nut tree and so pollinates it.  When the fruit is ripe and falls to the ground, a rodent picks it up and carries it about 200 yards away to hide it and return to it later.  Often the hidden nuts are forgotten and so grow into new trees.  In similar vein a gecko needs a giraffe and a leaf cutter ant depends on a wolf.  All of creation is connected and interdependent in chains of action resulting in ecosystems.

It was also brought to our notice how a whole ecosystem can die and disappear because one small insect or tiny creature is wiped out; such is the interdependence between the various species.  I quote the summing up paragraph to one of the programmes:

The complex web of relationships that we’ve seen has evolved over millions of years but I’ve learnt to see the real beauty in nature.  It’s not in the minute detail.  It’s in the bigger picture.  Because this works perfectly, that is beautiful.

God is in the detail and it is all the tiny details and interactions that make up a bigger picture.  So often we get bogged down in our own little world of detail.  Sometimes it is good for us to take a step back and consider just what our particular activity is connected to.  When we ask God to help us see things through His eyes, we are in effect asking to see the bigger picture – beyond our own little space.  We are all connected and interdependent and just how God works all that out – now that’s the beauty of God!

Let the Children ...

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to my nephew's son's 2nd birthday tea.  It was a lovely family get together with lots of nice things to eat.  His 5 year old elder brother had made some cakes especially for the occasion - with white icing and white chocolate buttons on them - mmm, not forgetting the birthday cake in the shape of Mickey.  There were presents to open and enjoy - toys, sweets, t-shirts with pictures of his favourite cartoon characters on them, a touchy feely book and lots more.  But the pièce de resistance was his new tricycle from Mam and Dad.  He just wanted to go outside in the garden and play on his new bike.

Watching the children playing reminded me of something I read earlier in the week. 

Contact with children teaches us sincerity, simplicity, the ability to live in the present hour, the present action.  Children are, in a sense, reborn daily: hence their spontaneity, the lack of complexity in their souls, the simplicity of their judgments and actions.  Moreover their intuitive distinctions between good and evil are direct and straightforward, their souls are free of the bonds of sin, they are not continually judging and analyzing.

As Jesus said – we must become as children.  There’s a lot more to it than first we might think when we hear those words.

Caterpillar or Butterfly?

One of my favourite insects is the butterfly.  I think there is nothing nicer on a sunny day than to see the butterflies flitting from one flower to another, seeking out the nectar and pollinating at the same time. Having lived in hotter climes, I have had the privilege of seeing some beautifully coloured and very large butterflies.  It is amazing to see a whole crowd of them resting and drinking beside a waterfall.  Absolutely stunning.

A group of swallowtails drinking in a pool next to Iguazu waterfalls

On the other hand I really dislike caterpillars and most gardeners try to eliminate them from the plants as they seem to devour just about every green leaf in sight.  Although they can also be of varying colours, some quite stunning to look at, the colours don't seem to attract us in the same way as the butterflies do.  Somehow that wriggly worm-like creature doesn't have the same appeal as the butterfly.

Maybe we see the apparent freedom of the butterfly displaying its beauty and being useful to us as pollinators while the caterpillars just seem to eat everything that we want to grow for our own use and pleasure.  The thing is that you can't have the butterfly without first having the caterpillar and it seems to me that for every caterpillar that we get rid of, that's one less butterfly to enjoy.  Hmm!!  Quite a dilemma!  Is that another of nature's lessons?  Someone once said, 'There's nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.'

As Strong As ... ...

The saying is 'as strong as an ox' which implies that strength is synonymous with size and brute force.  I guess it depends on what you mean by strength.  I think there is a kind of strength that has nothing to do with size or brute force.

A few nights ago we had a terrible storm that blew down part of our fence in the back garden - the gardener is coming next week to repair it.  Last evening I was watching the programme 'Springwatch' and their conversation was about the storm and the consequent floods and its effect on the wildlife.  Every year 'Springwatch' present their programme from a different location and this year it is from Wales.  Over the weekend Wales has suffered terrible storms and floods due to the amount of rain that has fallen and the water pouring down from the mountains and the rivers not being able to contain it.  Sadly there was loss of habitat and wildlife.  But the presenters were (and I was also) amazed at the precarious looking nest of a Goldcrest.

The Goldcrest is the smallest British bird and yet this tiny creature was still sitting on its eggs in the nest keeping them warm and sheltered from the conditions until they would hatch.  Other bigger creatures had perished but this tiny bird that weighs only a few grams showed a tenacity and strength beyond its appearance.  The nest swayed in the branches of the tree but it stayed put.  When at last the rain stopped and the clouds cleared for a short time there was such a cacophony of sound from all the birds, insects and mammals that emerged as though they were singing praises for their deliverance.  What lessons to be learned!  It reminded me of my online friend Joanna in Latvia who has a rather lame chick who apparently has quite a personality and won't give in but keeps trying to keep up with the others. 

Joanna's little lame chick (courtesy of Joanna's blog)



Thinking about that little Goldcrest, I felt quite a wimp when I snuggled up in my comfortable bed with my lovely duvet.  I want to change the saying to 'as strong as a goldcrest'.

Looking Back

When waiting at the bus stop to go into town, it is interesting to listen to the various conversations.  There is one particular elderly gentleman who regularly gets the same bus as me and his conversation is usually on the same topic - modern technology, computers in particular.  He really doesn't have a good word to say about them.  He certainly doesn't want one and couldn't see himself ever owning one.  Then I started wondering what my life would be like without one!  I would have to keep calling in at the bank or Post Office to pay my bills and organise my accounts.  I wouldn't be able to shop online as I do now.  And I wouldn't have a number of new-found friends that I now have through blogs and Facebook.  It would be more expensive and take longer to keep in touch with family and friends that are scattered throughout the world.  He couldn’t imagine himself with a pc but actually I couldn't imagine myself without one.  It is so useful and helpful for so many things.

This afternoon I caught up with a programme I recorded from last evening about the House That the 50s Built.  It is a series of four programmes that compares what a house would have looked like in 1950 and how it would look 10 years on as it reached the end of the decade.  This week's episode was all about the kitchen.  It echoed a conversation I had with my son only the other day when I told him that when I was a girl we didn't have television or washing machines or fridges (let alone freezers).  Working class people could not afford to have a telephone or central heating.  It was the decade when plastic and melamine became available, when a new drug called penicillin was introduced and gadgets like the automatic kettle, the toaster, the pressure cooker and the food mixer became known.  I remember my mother buying her first vacuum cleaner and non-stick pans were introduced ... ... and I could go on.

The thing is, looking back to 'the good old days', I don't think they were that good really.  So I welcome new technology, although it might take me a while to get the hang of it all!  Or as one lady in the bus queue commented, ‘Well we now live in the 21^st century and things are different, so he’d better get used to it!’

Game Surgery

It appears that the modders have been at it again, modifying new game technology for uses other than gaming. About a couple of years ago, XBox 360 brought out their newest technology - Kinect. This is a hands-free system that reacts to movement and voice commands. This means that your own voice or movement controls what happens in the game without you actually being connected by some cabled control that you click continuously and frantically in order to progress throughout the game.

The latest use for this technology has been in the operating theatres of selected hospitals on a trial basis. Surgeons sing its praises saying that it will speed up operations and decrease the risk of infection as they don't need to use a keyboard or be giving instructions verbally to other people to carry out their requests.

It is a serious consideration that within 10 years this technology will be common place in all hospitals. When you consider how quickly new technology is used to 'improve' weapons or destructive techniques for war, it is so reassuring to know that this technology is being used to help save lives. Some good news indeed.

Slimbridge

We spent a fabulous day yesterday at Slimbridge Waterfowl Park. We took a day excursion with South West Coaches. The weather was glorious all day - no wind, no clouds, just sunshine. We were greeted at the entrance by a heron just basking in the sun. It seemed as though he was inviting us to enjoy the day with him.

The first pool is full of swans, various kinds of ducks, geese, moorhens and coots. The great thing is that a lot of the birds are free to go where they want while the human visitors have to stay on the designated paths. The children love this part as they can get really close to the birds and enjoy feeding them.

A woman (not me) feeding the geese

Further along there are enclosures where they ask you not to feed them as they are from different parts of the world and have a more specialised diet that is catered for by the staff. There were swans, geese and ducks of all colours.




The smew

The white one is called a smew. There were ones with blue bills from South America.




Argentine Ruddy Duck



Puna Teal from the Andes

The strangest one we saw was referred to as the missing link between geese, swans, and game birds. It was called a Crested Screamer, although we didn't hear it 'scream'. 



Crested Screamer

We saw baby coots barely a few days old. There were birds that were large like the flamingoes and others that were so small and looked very delicate like the Red Shank and Avocet.



Avocet



We had quite a long conversation with another visitor who had a camera with an absolutely enormous zoom lens on it who admitted that for her watching and photographing wildlife was not a hobby but rather an obsession. Looking at some of her photographs made me feel a bit like hiding my little digital camera. She was a very interesting lady who obviously enjoyed her single life, sharing it with creation.

To crown it all, when we got back in the coach for the return journey, we discovered while chatting to the driver that he was originally from Gateshead! (for those who don't know, that is just the other side of the river from our place of origin) In July he is taking a group on a tour of the North East, spending time at Alnwick, Bamburgh, the Farne Islands and the obligatory fish and chip dinner at Seahouses. Mmm! Sounds like a good idea to me!

Memories that make you smile.

I was waiting at the bus stop in town when a fire engine passed. There was a small boy also waiting for the bus with his grandmother and he turned so excitedly to her and said, 'Look grandma, a fire engine!' My mind went back to when our boys were much younger. My younger son used to call them dee-dah lorries.

In fact all the emergency services' vehicles were known in our house as dee-dah cars or lorries. At first a neighbour thought that maybe our son had a speech impediment and couldn't say 'fire engine' or 'police car' properly and so called them dee-dah car/lorry. But then my son carefully explained that it was because these vehicles had a light on top that flashed and went dee-dah, dee-dah, dee-dah. They all have dee-dah lights on them. Hence the expression.

I smiled to myself as I remembered us all talking about the dee-dah lights while other people looked at us a little strangely!. Even now if anyone says 'dee-dah' light, to us it means one of the emergency services. Funny how you remember those little things that become part of a family's vocabulary.

What's the Point?

I have been thinking lately about the purpose of life.  Rick Warren wrote a whole book about it called The Purpose Driven Life.  Don't worry, I don't intend to be so long-winded.  It's just that in my younger years I seemed to have more of a purpose.  You know when you feel that you are actually doing something and contributing in some way.  We always talked about 'doing the Lord's work' - whatever that means.  Actually it seemed to mean doing things to do with church and getting other people to join us and come to our meetings.  Everything we did was geared to encourage people into the building and get involved with whatever projects we were doing at the time.

Now, the older I get, I find that I am no longer able to be busy doing things all the time as I was before.  I considered myself an encourager and pray-er and was happy going in prayer teams to stand alongside others in their work.  But now a sense of 'redundancy' creeps in and I ask myself 'what is the purpose of my life?'  I feel a bit like Solomon writing Ecclesiastes as he looks at life and comes to the conclusion that everything is meaningless.  It's almost like saying 'What's the point of it all? What's the purpose of life?'  It reminds me of the old sacred song ‘What is your purpose in life?’

As I get older I realise that the purpose of being a Christian is not about doing or being seen to be active but more about having a deep friendship with the Almighty.  It’s more about who we are rather than what we are doing.  The purpose of light is not to go everywhere in order to actively dispel darkness but rather to just be light.  It should fulfill the purpose of being what it is - light - and the natural consequence is that it will dispel the darkness wherever it is.  But it doesn’t set out to conquer darkness; it just is what it is.  And so my purpose in life is not to be busy trying to accomplish tasks or projects but to have such a relationship with and be so wrapped up in Him that wherever I am, He is seen; to be the person God made me; just simple being.

¿Qué es el Sentido?

He estado pensando últimamente acerca del propósito de la vida.  Rick Warren escribió un libro entero en eso llamado La Vida Llevado Por un Propósito.  No se afligen, no voy a escribir tanto.  Es que cuando fui más joven, mi vida parecía tener más propósito; cuando uno siente que en verdad está haciendo algo y contribuyendo en alguna forma.  Siempre hablábamos de 'hacer la obra del Señor' - sea lo que fuera el significado de eso.  En verdad, parece que significa que estás haciendo cosas perteneciendo a la iglesia y persuadiendo que otros se unen con nosotros y que vengan a los cultos.  Todo lo que hacíamos era para animar que otros vengan al edificio y estar envueltos en cualquier proyecto que estábamos haciendo en el  momento.

Ahora, al tener más años, me doy cuenta que no puedo estar tan activa haciendo cosas todo el tiempo como antes.  Me consideraba una persona que animaba a otros y una guerrera de oración y estaba muy feliz ir con otros en grupos de oración para estar al lado de otros en su trabajo.  Pero ahora tengo un sentido de redundancia y me pregunto '¿cuál es el propósito de mi vida?'  Me siento como Salomón escribiendo el libro de Eclesiastés cuando mira a la vida y llega a la conclusión que 'todo es vanidad'.  Es como decir '¿Cuál es el significado de todo? '¿Qué es el sentido de la vida?  Me hace recordar la canción sagrada vieja que decía '¿Cuál es el propósito de tu vida?

Como voy con más edad me doy cuenta que el propósito de ser cristiana no es acerca de lo que hago o siendo activa pero más acerca de tener una amistad profunda con el Todopoderoso.  Es más acerca de quienes somos que lo que hacemos.  El propósito de luz no es ir a todas partes para activamente disipar la oscuridad pero más bien simplemente ser luz.  Debe cumplir con el propósito de ser lo que es - luz- y la consecuencia natural de eso será que disipará las tinieblas dondequiera que esté.  Pero no busca a dominar la oscuridad; simplemente es lo que es.  Y así mi propósito en la vida no es estar muy ocupada tratando a cumplir con trabajo o proyectos sino a tener tal relación con y estar tan envuelto en Él que dondequiera este yo, Él se hace ver; a ser la persona que Dios me hizo para ser; simplemente ser.

Ser

All Is Not Lost

In the springtime I planted quite a few seeds.  As I no longer do the heavy digging in the garden I figured that I could at least have a few vegetables in pots.  I could manage that and so I planted some seeds and put them on the windowsill while the weather was still cold.  They were growing well and I was really pleased with the result.  They kept growing but the weather outside was still cold, windy and very, very wet! 

At the weekend we had three whole days without rain and so I decided to repot the seedlings into larger pots and put them outside.  I also found the old pots I had put strawberry plants in last year.  I had just left them - dead - as I thought.  But to my pleasant surprise there were about 10 plants struggling for survival in the abandoned pots.  So I carefully took them out and replanted them in the garden - not much digging for those, just the small trowel.

Since the weekend however we have had more rain and cold nights.  Oh dear, I thought, maybe I should have waited a bit longer.  This morning I went out to see how they were all doing and was very pleased to see them thriving.  Plants that had seemed so fragile and quite droopy yesterday were now perking up and apparently doing well.

New tomato plants

Another of nature's lessons!  Never give up hope.  All is not lost.  God created a wonderful world (including us) with an amazing ability to bounce back from adversity and withstand the rigours of life.

Todo no está perdido

En la primavera sembré unas semillas. Como ya no hago trabajo fuerte en el jardín pensé que por lo menos podría tener unas verduras en macetas.  Eso podría hacer asique sembré unas semillas y les puse al lado de la ventana mientras el tiempo estaba todavía frío.  Crecían bien y me gustó mucho el resultado.  Seguían creciendo pero el tiempo afuera seguía frío, ventoso y muy, muy mojado.

Al fin de semana tuvimos tres días enteros sin lluvia asique decidí ponerlos en macetas más grandes y sacarles afuera.  También encontré unas macetas viejas con frutillas del año pasado.  Lo había dejado - muertos- como pensé yo.  Pero que sorpresa linda a encontrar que había como 10 plantas luchando a sobrevivir en las macetas abandonadas.  Con cuidado, los saqué de ahí y los planté de nuevo en el jardín - no mucho trabajo ni fuerza necesario.

Desde entonces hemos tenido aún más lluvia y noches frías.  Empecé a pensar que a lo mejor hubiese sido mejor esperar un poco más antes de sacarles afuera.  Esta mañana fui para ver como andaban y me agradó mucho ver que estaban bien.  Plantas que ayer parecían tan frágiles y decaídas, ahora estaban mejor y aparentemente haciendo bien.

Plantitas de tomates

Otra lección de la naturaleza.  Nunca abandone la esperanza.  Todo no está perdido.  Dios creó un mundo maravilloso (incluyendo a nosotros) con una habilidad sombrosa a rebotar de las adversidades y soportar los rigores de la vida.

All in it Together

I normally try to steer clear of controversial issues.  Everyone has their own opinion and I try to respect that even though sometimes I feel and think quite the opposite.  Each has a right to their own ideas and thinking.  But today on the news my attention was caught by the news that another highly paid boss has resigned from his post as shareholders at the AGM showed their disapproval at his large increase in salary and bonus.  It is not my intention to go into long discussion about CEOs high salaries or whether or not they should receive such enormous bonuses.  What really caught my attention was the BBC's Business Editor, Robert Peston when he said that the average increase in salary of the CEOs of top firms in the past year was 11% (even though they already receive a 7 figure salary).  This is in stark contrast to the shareholders income from shares over the same length of time that is actually down 7% while the average wage increase for an ordinary worker was only 1%. 

Robert Peston

The government keeps insisting that we're all in it together!  But somehow people aren't convinced when many workers have lost their jobs because of firms cutting back, others have had a pay freeze for a few years with no seeming improvement in the foreseeable future and very few others have received an increase beyond 1or 2%.  Somehow when the big boss gets 11% it doesn't seem as though we really are all in it together.  However you try to reconcile the numbers, unless Maths has changed drastically from when I went to school, 11% is an awful lot more than 1% or even -7%!  And try telling someone who is now unemployed because of the financial crisis that 11% increase is a fair price to pay for a CEO.

Recent unrest in Spain

We are certainly living in interesting times when you see in many countries how the ordinary men and women are rising up to let their opinions be heard.  It is not just the Arab Spring that happened but now we are seeing the European countries of Greece, France and Spain showing their disapproval of their leaders and here in the UK people are letting their voices be heard about what they think of the decisions of those in power.

Thank You

I got off the bus at my stop on the way home.  Just ahead of me was a group of about 6 teenagers talking and joking together ... and filling the pavement.  As I got nearer, one young man stepped to one side to let me past.  I smiled at him and said 'Thank you'.  I passed them and went on my way but the youth, almost as an afterthought said in a loud voice 'Thank you for saying 'thank you''.  That was nice, I thought. 

As I walked on I began to think about the small incident.  First of all I was reminded that not all teenagers are a problem and just because they enjoy hanging out together does not mean that they are up to no good.  Just because a few give problems doesn't mean that I should distrust all of them.  A timely lesson for me.

Saying 'thank you' is something I do almost automatically - it's the way we were brought up.  And then I thought of the fact that the young man thanked me for thanking him as though he didn't expect it.  Is that a sad reflection, I wondered, on the fact that many people nowadays never think to say 'thank you' for a small kindness?  I have heard it said in assertiveness training courses that we shouldn't keep saying things like 'thank you' and 'sorry' as this shows submissiveness rather than assertiveness.  I just call it good manners and respect for others.  Or maybe I'm just old fashioned and a bit behind the times. 

Gracias

Bajé del ómnibus a la parada cerca de casa.  Adelante había un grupo de como seis jóvenes charlando y contando chistes ... y llenando la vereda.  Al acercarme, uno de los jóvenes movió a un lado para dejarme pasar.  Sonreí y le dije 'Gracias'.  Seguí en mi camino pero el joven, casi como una idea tardía dijo en alta voz 'Gracias por decir 'gracias''.  Que lindo, pensé

Al caminar seguí pensando en la ocurrencia pequeña.  Primeramente que no todos los jóvenes son un problema y simplemente porque les gusta juntarse no quiere decir que son malos.  Porque algunos nos dan problemas, no significa que tenemos que desconfiar en todos ellos.  Una lección para mí.

Decir 'gracias' es algo que hago casi automáticamente - es como fui criado.  Y luego pensé en como el joven me agradeció por agradecerle como si no lo esperaba.  ¿Es eso una reflexión triste, pensé, en el hecho que hoy en día mucha gente nunca piensa en decir 'gracias' por un favor pequeño?  He oído dicho en cursos de aserto que no debemos decir tanto, cosas como 'gracias' y 'disculpe' porque eso demuestra sumisión y no aserto.  Para mí simplemente es un caso de ser bien educado y tener respeto para los demás.  O tal vez soy anticuada y un poco pasada de moda.