Powerful Stuff

This video makes my hair stand on end

and tears come to my eyes

(Make sure you click on the image until you get the full screen version)

Thank you Chris Stephens

Brilliant ideas and presentation.

With a message close to my heart.

And JAK for alerting me to it.

It may be worth looking at my previous posts under the label "minds"


Since posting the above, Chris has posted me the full text of the poem written 175 years ago.

This for me makes more sense - but the video has a strong emotional impact.

Now return to reason and stop and think!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

            A PSALM OF LIFE

      WHAT THE HEART OF THE YOUNG MAN

                    SAID TO THE PSALMIST

    TELL me not, in mournful numbers,

        Life is but an empty dream ! —

    For the soul is dead that slumbers,

        And things are not what they seem.

    Life is real !   Life is earnest!

        And the grave is not its goal ;

    Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

        Was not spoken of the soul.

    Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

        Is our destined end or way ;

    But to act, that each to-morrow

        Find us farther than to-day.

    Art is long, and Time is fleeting,

        And our hearts, though stout and brave,

    Still, like muffled drums, are beating

        Funeral marches to the grave.

    In the world's broad field of battle,

        In the bivouac of Life,

    Be not like dumb, driven cattle !

        Be a hero in the strife !

    Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant !

        Let the dead Past bury its dead !

    Act,— act in the living Present !

        Heart within, and God o'erhead !

    Lives of great men all remind us

        We can make our lives sublime,

    And, departing, leave behind us

        Footprints on the sands of time ;

    Footprints, that perhaps another,

        Sailing o'er life's solemn main,

    A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

        Seeing, shall take heart again.

    Let us, then, be up and doing,

        With a heart for any fate ;

    Still achieving, still pursuing,

        Learn to labor and to wait.

Human contact

There are groups of people that are hidden away out of sight that would greatly benefit from seeing and talking with people other than those paid to do so.

Many of us don't realise these people exist.

Suchet was back on TV on BBC breakfast to highlight the work being done with Dementia. How groups of musicians were enjoying "talking to" others through engaging them in making music.

They had found a hidden door into these peoples brains when all other entrances were blocked.

People with Dementia were tapping out rhythms and "dancing" with their hands and feet. It was good to see.

Something I hope to do in Ulverston is get many small community groups formed like the one at Lightburn Park.

I am meeting people living only 50 yards from each other that have similar interests and don't know the other exists. We have no common ground where we can meet those that live nearby and this could be of great enjoyment to us all.

I shall get these groups going if I can whether or not I get elected and am at this moment exploring other groups nationwide, that have ways of bringing people together.

More on this again soon!

Why do we delight in tearing each other apart?

The press, sleaze and Gordon Brown.

By contrast.


Nepali shepherd.

Why is it that those living the hard 'simple' life seem to be the ones with the biggest smiles?

Is life for us really that bad?

Or are we riddled with feelings of injustice and lack of control over our own lives?

Will the credit crunch make us more self reliant and value good friends and community more?

.

Anger

Calm? Why should I be calm?


I learnt a lot from this article in the Guardian.

It describes very well how I strive to behave.

A lot of things get me angry which is why working with others to change things makes me feel good.

"Evidence for the benefits of this (low-level anger expression) can be seen by comparing the city streets of Bristol and Bilbao on a Friday night. In both cities, young people in particular get drunk. But whereas Bristol's A&E departments are filling up by midnight with fight injuries, you rarely see as much as a scuffle in Bilbao. Alcohol disinhibits, whatever your nationality, so the most likely explanation for the difference is that the Basques bottle less anger up while the Brits use the bottle to get it out."

I've been amazed that, many times, officious people find me to be 'abusive' because I dare to ask them straight non-aggressive questions. So often it appears evident that they are not used to being asked straight but penetrating questions which boil down to:

"Why aren't you doing your job as you stated you would?"

This explains why I'm running for County Council so as to ask both Councillors and 'civil servants' these type of questions.

I'm hoping that many more people will join me by forming residents associations so that they too can ask questions and press for answers!