Category: our story

Butchers

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Unnecessary butchering of trees

Three trees chopped down in little over a day.

One tree fell because of a rain storm so they’re concerned more will fall. it’s important to protect people but let’s get the balance right and check with those we can trust, who know what’s best.

Only cut when and where it’s necessary.

Staff shouldn’t be given tree rein.

I failed to save at least one tree that didn’t need to be cut.

I’ve been advised that there’s no need to chop down the trees. Just trim the branches and reduce the ‘crown.’ So it doesn’t get waterlogged and top heavy when it rains, then it’s less likely to break and fall over .

I’ve seen a small chain saw at the end of a stick that’s ideal for the job.

It needs someone with the relevant skills and authority to take charge.

Do we care? Who is accountable? How do we stop it happening again?

New thing… learning.

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I shared this joke as I’m currently working out how to help children think (creatively, divergently and critically) as part of my new thing. (Contemplating working with kaveri’s school, if they’ll have me) I’m looking into Kohlberg’s Stages Of Moral Development after starting to read this book ….

Postscript

I’ve also been reading Ken Robinson’s books. Great insights about how our education systems are designed for the Industrial Revolution preparing children to slot into jobs that will not exist. So we need to help them to have the competencies associated with adaptability, effective communication and developing relationships. I agree but there seems to be an added problem in achieving that. We don’t help them to think for themselves, to be innovative, we suppress it and expect them to know their place. That is an even older approach, it’s medieval and wrong.

Will they pick up ?

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I’m told they don’t pick up or answer the phone.

If the underpass is anything to go by you’ll be waiting sometime.

The ripped sign should give us a clue.
It’s locked.

This is on a day when the whole city is heaving. It’s Lakshmi’s festival in a few days time.

People are risking life and limb crossing the busy roads, squeezing in the few inches between the concrete blocks separating the constant streams of traffic.

Who cares?

Catching up with Kaveri

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I’ve missed not seeing her for almost six weeks followed by a flurry

On the drive home she spelt words after giving me a series of drawings, at least one for each week we missed seeing each other.

I’ve visited the school twice already this week. As a ‘family’ visit with scotaussie Ina and to attend the Independence Day celebrations with French Paul.

Does anything ever go smoothly, anywhere?

This weekend we’ve started with skating, she worried that she may have forgotten it, (no chance) a monsoon landing and hilarious walk home

Followed by opening the giant parcel I brought on the plane and Kaveri’s first Lego build.

I was so impressed by Kaveri quickly getting into following and implementing the Lego instructions. She clearly has never experienced anything like it before. I must also admit that I’ve cracked it, and have successfully bought clothes for a nine-year old. We all know it’ll not last.

Ina’s patient tolerance, knows no bounds.

Grief and grieving

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I have to say something about this….. but I’m not ready to yet, beyond the following…

… I’ve just had helpful discussions with my sons. It’s critical to be heard.

Other friends have fedback that they’ve recently seen a real difference in me.

“Grief is not one thing, and it is not linear. It looks and feels different for everyone, and it can hit you at any point – even months or years after the fact.” From this article in the Guardian Newspaper.

In my view it keeps coming in waves.

The Guardian feature writer Emine Saner reports on the acceptance of grief as a medical condition

I don’t recognise this, but as I say — it’s different for everyone.

There is the risk of ‘pathologising” ie to ‘label’ things unhelpfully and somehow blame the individual.

But back to the first point, I believe grief after we lose someone is always with us, as I’ve said before it’s a new life-long-friend that we have to learn to live with for the rest of our lives.

We don’t get over it, yes it changes particularly through the process of grieving but it remains with us.

I say again .. we don’t ‘get over it’ and such statements can be at the very least unhelpful.

I understand however that there are some situations when the raw roughness of grief can be absolutely debilitating. At times it has been for me.

I have however valued the opportunity to share my feelings online and directly with friends. To celebrate Manjula and shout about her from the virtual treetops. That helped.

To reiterate … the bottom line is that this situation is unique for everyone and we all deal with it differently.

and … It never goes away.

More later.

You are not alone

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It’s June and a new book has arrived for Manjula’s library. After over four years you’d think I’d stopped buying such books but far from it.

It’s another refreshing look at this challenging new life.

It reminds and reinforces that yes I could and should invite people to come share their stories.

If you get to the end of this posting and no 1 you’re still awake and 2 it resonates with you experiencing something similar and you might want to gain and provide support, then join our meeting.

This book is just the catalyst I’ve needed.

The first bit explains it well.

Here it is…

I’ve your interested please write directly or follow the link to yet another boring google form.

Stephen.

PS I’m about to go on holiday to the disunited kingdom so I’ll get in touch on my return probably not before September.

Post Brexit

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I would joke that there was life after Brexit in the U.K. as an island old people’s home.

I take it back — there’s not enough people to staff it or tomatoes to feed the residents. .

But it’s worse: the inhumanity: commodification of people care, indifference of the owners, ignorance and inaction of the families, callousness of a privatised only-care-for-the-rich system, means you’re dumped into concentrated carelessness.

This article illuminates

We shouldn’t be surprised but why should we or how can we care?

Just make sure you,’re not feeble and alive to have to enjoy the mouldy fruits of the system

I sometimes scoff about extended supportive family networks. I shouldn’t but I do question whether they shouldn’t also be on life support. The fact is it’s the compassion and care amplified through people connections to each other we sorely need injecting to revitalise our communities

Me as a 66 year old am about to go care for an eight year old that helps blow life into this bundle of walking cobwebs.

I feel young again. Ha ha