Points of View

The world is full of myriad opinions at the moment. Everything from Covid to Black Lives Matter elicit different points of view. Some of which are articulated in an extremely hostile manner. Nobody seems to be considering the fact that both sides of any argument could be correct, at least about something.

Alas, we seem to be living in a world where if a person says something you disagree with, then they must be full of shit about everything else too. Sorry about the language, but only that truly expresses the rage which you often see. The problem is that when we take sides we seem to assume that there are only two. But this is not a war between countries, or a sport, and this is not a two-dimensional world. Would you want it to be?

Race and Helplessness

How do you write about what has been happening in America as a white man? My helplessness and shock at what I have been witnessing are tiny feelings compared to the terror and anger which must be being felt by the black community there. I cannot even put myself into their place. It is simply an impossible proposition for any white person, and especially a man. You see, nobody judges me according to my skin colour. We are all judged in some way, but these verdicts come upon by others usually remain in their own minds. This has not been, and is still not, the experience for many people in the world.

Now and Then

Sitting on one end of a wet, empty bench. Looking along a line of uneven slats which are wavering towards the horizon. Today they are deserted but I can’t help but wonder what life they have seen. How many conversations have been had? Relationships will have been started and ended in these spots. Fun will have been had. Everything from secretive teenage drinking to classical recitals,for the more mature, will have taken place here. Even if these are no longer the original benches, then the ghosts of these past events will still linger on.

Swarms

It’s an impossible task to get an image of a beautiful place that contains no people. So we need to accept that fact, move on and capture different images. I find this one beautiful and believe it to be enhanced by the swarms of people visible. Zoom in and see how many selfies are being taken, you probably won’t be surprised.

Sporting Cultures Clash

It is interesting when you have a family from a mixture of cultures. You ask yourself so many questions when your kids are young. How will they cope speaking two languages? Will they enjoy being bilingual? Could they possibly feel too different to those around them?