THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE
Today I stumbled across an article in which the Mirror website apologized for an article in which they ‘reported that hundreds of people had stormed out of an anti-EU rally after George Galloway made anti-Semitic remarks and talked about Iran instead of the EU deal’. They went on to admit that the allegations were incorrect, that Galloway had not made any anti-semetic remarks and that the reference to Iran was only mentioned as a country he considered Britain could trade with if Britain left the EU. (2016 George Galloway Mirror online).
It’s always good to see anyone apologise publically for wrong doing but surely there is the issue that the story has already been spread and the damage done. Many people don’t bother to read apologies or, if they do, don’t bother to pass it on to those with whom they may have already discussed the original story.
In this instance Galloway is already a controversial figure. The Wikipedia article (Wikipedia 2016) cites many instances of Galloway being accused of various political indiscretions, for most of which he was cleared, and in those that he wasn’t specifically found innocent the results remain ambiguous. Nonetheless, the feeling of a large proportion of the population is that George Galloway is not to be trusted, drawing on the negative reports which, it would appear, travel wider and louder than those commenting on his innocence. His appearance on Big Brother was sadly an ill-judged move on his part and has not helped his cause with a voting public with a long memory!
The RESPECT party upholds peace, justice and equality, and has many good aims in its manifesto.
STARMAN
11th January, 2016
I can’t let today pass without saying a few words about the loss of David Bowie, although all these hours after the announcement of his passing early this morning so much has already been written by others more knowledgeable and more eloquent than me.
David Bowie was an icon, a legend, a chameleon, but most of all he was an impressive talent. Songwriter, singer, actor, with a passionate interest in and knowledge of various forms of art. And he wasn’t infallible, he was human, which made him all the more likeable and ‘one of us’.
Bowie was the soundtrack to the lives of many. In whatever form his changing persona took he gathered more fans to accompany him on his journey through life. His loss has left many bereft and stunned at how the passing of someone they never met has left them so shattered and in pieces. Grown men cried unashamedly when they heard the news. It is a loss that many of us who were of Bowie’s generation will never get over, it will remain a part of the years we have left.
The world is reeling from the shock of today’s sad news. His life was flamboyant, he threw out convention and went his own way. His death, by contrast, was private; few of his fans knew of his 18 month battle with the cancer that finally won over his indomitable spirit. His cremation took place privately, without the hordes of fans and paparazzi most famous personalities attract.
David Bowie died too soon, depriving this world of his uniqueness and the music that he might have gone on to gift to us. What a band there must be in Heaven now!
There’s a Starman, waiting in the sky. Rest in peace, Starman.
THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS
10th August 2015
Today I was struck by the kindness of strangers.
A trip on a crowded train was a bit of a nightmare for me as I’m unable to stand in one position for long without considerable pain. I had a day ahead of me which would involve much more walking than I’m used to and if I stood all the way to Liverpool Street – a journey of well over an hour – I’d be fit for nothing by the time we reached our destination. When it seemed as though we might have to stand all the way my heart sank. My daughter, with whom I was travelling, wanted to ask someone to let me have their seat; she thought the fact that I walk with the use of a cane should have indicated that I needed somewhere to sit, but I wouldn’t let her. I’d like to think that, when I was more able, I would have given up my seat for a person who required help to walk, and I’d like to think that most of the people in the carriage would have given up their seat had they noticed my walking aid. But these days we are too scared of meeting another’s eyes, of being drawn into conversation or maybe looking too interested in another person and consequently being the receiver of some verbal abuse, so we don’t lift our eyes from our smart ‘phones, our books, or perhaps just our twiddling thumbs.
I settled against a post where at least there was a little relief for my back, and my daughter stood beside me, scanning constantly in case a seat became vacant.
We’d been travelling for some minutes when I noticed a man struggling through the standing people lining the passage of the carriage and making his way towards us. This gentleman, for such he was, offered us his own seat next to his wife.
He didn’t have to do that. I wouldn’t have noticed him amongst the crowd of bodies that inhabited the carriage, I wouldn’t have known him had I met him in the street later that day. He didn’t have to give up his spot with his family and struggle to get to us, nor did he have to clear the way for our trip to take up his seat – well, for me to, my daughter stayed by my side.
Later I had cause to use an escalator. I’ve never had trouble with escalators until earlier this year when I suddenly found I couldn’t step on the escalator to take me to the ground floor of the store in which I was shopping. In my defense the escalator was running really fast. I gave in and used the store’s lift.
So when I came to need to use the escalator at the tube station I was understandably a little nervous and was saying as much to my daughter.
“No need to worry,” a deep voice said behind me, “I’ll look after you.”
There wasn’t time to say anything, we were at the top of the escalator. The man stood a step behind me, took my arm, and muttering soothing words, guided me on to the first step, the one that could have been my stumbling block, but wasn’t, because I was too busy listening to what he was saying to really think about it.
Once on the escalator I really didn’t need any guidance, I was fine, but he obviously thought I was just scared of the whole performance so he kept his guiding hand on my elbow all the way down. As we reached the bottom he told me not to worry, that he’d make sure I got off safely which, of course, I did. Once off I turned to thank him, but he was already walking away, a smartly dressed black guy who looked as though he was hurrying to a meeting or back to work. He raised an arm in acknowledgement of my thanks but never looked back.
Today I was blessed with the kindness of strangers.