on the issue of defection today.
I wrote a polite but firm letter to the man who has been my MP. I advised him, politely, that he no longer had my respect or my support.
I pedalled off to deliver it - because, unlike him, I believe such things should be done in person - not by text message or an announcement in the media. If you wish to make such a statement then you should be willing to put your name to it - and you should continue to be polite.
Nevertheless it did not surprise me to discover that the window of the electorate office had been sprayed with angry graffiti. There was a large media contingent outside the office. There were police. I had the letter in my hand. One of the police coming out of the office took it from me and took it inside. I thanked him politely and pedalled off rapidly - before the media could nab me for an on air opinion. I am all too well aware of how they can edit and twist things so that your words come out with an entirely different meaning.
There were angry mutterings in the post office, the chemist and the bank I visited. Most people, even those who voted for other people, are disgusted. They also feel powerless.
We shouldn't be powerless but we probably are. So much for democracy.
Yesterday afternoon I went to visit my friend in hospital. I had promised her I would come - but I came away feeling I might just as well not have gone. She was fractious and irritable and showed no interest in me being there. Her lunch was still there. As hospital food goes it is not too bad - at least edible. She had eaten half a small bowl of soup and a tiny container of ice cream - about a third of a cup size. That was all. There was an IV line in.
Today she is having an endoscopy because she is still complaining of pain when she eats - but an ultrasound and a CT scan have found nothing.
One of the senior staff believes they will not find anything. I suspect he is right. I suspect my friend wants to defect from life. I left feeling I wanted to defect from her as well. It makes me angry that she is not making an effort but defection would be wrong. I am not going to do it.
Defection does not take courage. It is cowardly.
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5 comments:
When I was younger and more healthy I could not understand why a family member did not try to eat so she might recover from her illness. Now at 78 and having recently had surgery for cancer and presently undergoing chemo treatments I know the effort it takes to eat. There are times the body rebels at the very thought of food.
I am not saying your friend feels that way only that it is hard to understand where another person may be with body and mind when we see them.
Best wishes to both of you.
Do you not have a power of recall?
We don't yet have such a power of recalling our MPs and moves to 'grant' that 'privilege' to the people MPs are meant to serve has been twisted in Parliament so it will more likely be used to get rid of pink monkeys on green leather benches, i.e., those MPs who annoy their party colleagues not those who transgress against the public who they are supposed to serve.
Sorry to hear your friend is feeling so low they are losing the will to live. You're annoyed with her because you care, so I hope you won't feel to guilty about feeling that way :)
My husband only wanted to eat when he was ill...but he could not open the foil sealed packets.
The auxiliary staff - forbidden to open the packets in the name of hygiene - told the nurses...who could not have cared less....
Didn't they want him to get better Helen?
I hope you're right Philip - sometimes I think I am just being a grump cat. And no, we don't have power of recall - don't think the major parties would go for that because it might upset their precious compulsory preferential voting system as well.
Anonymous - whoever you are - yes, I understand it can be an effort to eat if you are ill. I hope going through chemo is worth it - very best wishes.
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