My world is getting smaller and smaller

We are confined to a comfortable home with a garden and can go for a walk but I am not talking about small in a physical sense but in a psychological sense. So many of the casual encounters one had on a daily basis are gone, and family and friends are reduced to voices on the phone or face-to-face but digitally.  

We are in a very privileged position and I absolutely realise that – what I can’t deal with any more is the relentless horror of the news. I don’t think I am alone. We are desperate for hopeful or good news, news that isn’t haranguing the government or making endless comparisons to other countries – it will be relevant later, creating some disease and death Olympian competition now is pointless. The Prime Minister seems to be fair game for criticism for missing Prime Minister’s Questions when his partner gave birth during the night and he has survived a life threatening illness. (I don’t care how many children he has – it is her first child born at a very difficult time.)  The British Government operates with cabinet responsibility and a non-political Civil Service. He is only the first among equals.

So many of my friends have stopped watching the news – we watch the daily update from Number 10 Downing Street and switch off for the questions. 

Is it surprising then when a man, who turned 100 years old today, decided to walk in his garden to raise money for the health service he becomes a national hero? Not at all, he is a wonderful human being, gracious, optimistic, grateful and humble. People have donated over £30 million, he has been made an Honorary Colonel and today had a flypast of a Hurricane Bomber and a Spitfire to celebrate. His wonderful response was that he saw them flying in wartime and now they fly in peace.

The nation has been captured by his simple straightforward humble approach which is why so much money has been raised.  

There are very positive stories of ordinary sacrifices, good deeds, creativity and neighbourliness, etc but the media are obsessed with negativity, themselves and their own cleverness. I think they have missed a trick. We are not the only country that perhaps didn’t get it right – there are a lot of people doing their best and yes, that does include the politicians. We have a new kind of door stepping, remotely, of bereaved families. Each and every death is a dreadful tragedy for a group of people but we can’t grieve for strangers every hour of every day. 

Switzerland is opening up next week, schools are going back and shops are opening, and you can hug your grandchildren if they are under ten years old.