I’m sitting hoping the night will cool down. The backdoor is open and a couple of moths have come in. I’m watching an appropriate film “in the heat of the night”, set in the deep south of the USA. It’s about a black detective and a racist white policeman trying to solve a murder against the racial tensions of the 1960s. Somehow they manage to work together despite their differences. It’s very tense and thought provoking. I think people ought to watch it in these troubled times. I’ve seen it several times. We are so inhumane to people who just look different. It’s crazy.
I went to a garden center a couple of days ago. It’s full of all sorts if stuff, a bit like temu in a big shed. To get to the plants you have to walk round lots of displays. There used to be a way through to avoid them but they’ve blocked the routes. If there was ever a fire I think we would be trapped. There’s jewellery, glass ware, pottery, clothes, shoes, houseplants, garden furniture and other stuff. Once you get to the plants there are a miriad of different garden plants (dinosaur included). I didn’t buy any as I need to sort my garden out first. On the way out we looked at toys and sweets and cakes. There were also three separate cafes/resteraunts. It was full of people, that’s where I think I caught this sore throat.
I’ve been wondering what to write for this prompt, and I realise that apart from basic addition (arithmetic) people struggle with calculations and formulas.
I was dropped down into the CSE group when I did maths at school. In the end that did me a favour. The exam was like a normal lesson and I got an o level pass.
I just about understood quadratic equations but never liked having to go through the stages of the calculations. I could follow logarithms, but never did calculus. My understanding of sine, co-sine and tangents left something to be desired.
But at least I understood numbers. There is something like dyslexia that some people have, it’s called dyscalculia. As people become aware of it, it might explain why they struggle.
If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?
The scales of justice weigh heavy, there are so many laws or orders I would repeal, but I would need to be convinced that any of them improved the lives of millions or even billions.
My influences are stories like Robin Hood, mythologies and historical tales where support is given to all, for instance the tale of the good Samaritan and the healing by Jesus, and St Francis’ care for the animal kingdom.
I’ve been told by people I’m too naive, too forgiving, too caring. But I don’t care, for the world to continue as it is, is too cruel and damaging. Somewhere there must be a kernel of decency.
The world is tilting to a right wing view. People are the victims. The world is too chaotic, and somehow we need to find a balance between human needs and environmental issues. Maybe instead of letting the richest people take over let’s gently tax them and make them pay? A small contribution from their gleaming gold would help so many.
I try and be compassionate and care about people. It’s hard sometimes because you have to care about yourself too. If you don’t you can sink under the pressure of peoples problems.
I was bought up to be compassionate, I would watch things on TV or listen to the radio and feel bad for people in trouble, I understood some of the pain they were going through. I don’t know why? I was just doing what people around me did, but it’s stuck with me throughout my life. I hope it shows through.
Traits are hard to recognise in yourself though, it’s not something I go looking for but deep down its there.
How does your brain work? How do you judge a character? If the person is honest it’s quite simple, but if there is dishonesty it’s far more difficult. People can be fooled by kind words. You have to judge people by their actions.
Being suspicious is not a bad character trait, particularly if you are vulnerable. Con merchants can be charming and persuasive, and can take advantage with their scams.
If someone befriends me I am generally cautious, it takes me a while before I get to a point where I can accept them. Once I am I usually hold onto that friendship. I have only ever ended friendships with a few people, and that was because their behaviour was at odds to what I believed they were like. I hated ending the friendship but I’m glad I did.
I am cautious with social media, there is to much flattery and charm out there, and if someone offers me a free lunch…? I think long and hard and then usually won’t accept it.
Which topics would you like to be more informed about?
I recently did a course in illustration and one of the modules was to do in depth research into a subject of our choice. I chose dragons.
I was aware of Chinese imperial dragons, and Japanese dragons, as well as western European ones. But I had no idea about the complexity of the subject. For instance how many wings they had (if at all), how many legs or toes? Whether they were good or evil. So much to know.
Then I found out about other civilizations, Australia, various African countries, ancient Greece and Rome, North and South America, each had versions of dragons (also called great snakes), The Australian one for instance was a snake that seemed to link rivers and water holes. The American ones might have been linked to dinosaur bones. How would they know they were fossils and not recently deceased? It was fascinating.
But that’s when I realised I know only very little about ancient civilizations. And watching I Claudius on television recently, I understand I know virtually nothing about the Romans, let alone the Celts, ancient Chinese, Vikings, and so many peoples from across the whole world.
I know I cannot gain an encyclopedic knowledge, but I want to learn more. I’m interested in finding out.
What change, big or small, would you like your blog to make in the world?
The world’s a mixed up place. There’s too much fake information out there. How can my small blog cut through it all?
I had a silly idea that I could write and prevent the War in Ukraine escalating. I even wrote to the Russian embassy in London to think about what Putin was doing and going to do.
I have written about global warming and famines. But I’m one person. Clearly if everyone agreed, then we as humanity could change things. But who’s going to listen? I don’t have a large reach here or anywhere else. I’m no influencer.
It’s nice to feel I might make a difference. But it’s like winning the lottery, a 14 million to 1 chance that someone might care. That’s all I can say.
How would you like your blog to influence people? When will individuals work together, team up, care enough to change things?
Obviously there are people out there in groups and teams who try. I hope you give them half a chance. The world needs changing but it might be too late!
Write about a random act of kindness you’ve done for someone.
I try and help most people. I will not go into details, but in my previous job I used to try and help the people I was employed to look after. If they were not being helped by other staff I used to get involved and see what I could do.
I guess I’ve given someone an umbrella when she had nothing to help keep her dry. I’ve driven hitch hikers up to places I wasn’t even going to. Last week someone stopped us as we got in the car. He was a stranger but had a big bag of shopping and asked for a lift up our hill. We took him to his door..
I do things without considering how it will affect me. I think helping people is important. If you can help you should.
Mallaband-Brown 