It would appear that Mrs. Thatcher is every bit as divisive in Death as she ever was in Life . I think we've all probably read , heard and said enough about how we feel about The Old Girl in the past week , but I did just want to try and explore my own feelings on the matter .
Anyway , despite my very strong Leftie views ,  I don't wish this piece to be Yet Another Article slagging the woman off . Having spent the past 12 years working as a Psychiatric Nurse specialising in Dementia , I am more aware than most of the need to give Dignity & Respect to ANYONE suffering the effects of this dreadful illness . However , this shouldn't mean that we aren't free to give our opinions on someone's past deeds .
There has been much written about The Iron Lady's contributions to The Nation in the past week , and much of it seems to have been written from behind Rose Tinted Specs .  I now understand that she single-handedly wrestled back The Falkland Islands from Argentinian troops , rescued the country from Financial meltdown , prevented small children from milk poisoning , selflessly saved thousands of Miners from having to go down dark holes in the ground , and gave lots of poor people a free house . Quite a Woman . However , call me churlish , but...... I still can't help but despise the woman . Sorry ......
What I look for in a Politician is a desire to make the World a better place to live in , for everyone , and it's on this rather basic point that Mrs. Thatcher falls at the first hurdle . I could never detect in her any ounce of Humanity , any warmth , and any real decency . I tried to watch  a documentary on her life the other evening , and couldn't get past the first 10 minutes , so annoying did I find her , but that short excerpt alone told me much about what formed her life-long outlook on life . It would seem that Daddy really wanted a son , meaning that little Margaret felt she needed to spend the rest of her life proving that she had testicles the size of water melons . Also , Daddy's Corner Shop didn't seem to be good enough for her , she had higher aspirations , thus meaning she felt EVERYONE had to dedicate everything to "improving" themselves .
My favourite Politician has always been Tony Benn . Whether you agree with his Socialist beliefs or not , I think you would be hard pressed to say that he doesn't yearn for a Better World . Even now , well into his Octogenarian decade , his passion is undiminished ,  I see him speak at The Tolpuddle Rally every year , and he's still a powerful orator , still capable of having an audience hang on his every word . Here is a person who used his early life experiences not to grow a chip on his shoulder , but to try and search for answers . For example . his experiences in the RAF during World War 2 gave him a genuine interest in Peace . I would recommend anyone to read his lovely book , "Letters To My Grandchildren" , in which he passes on his wisdom to the younger generation in an extremely user friendly form .
It is Benn's twin message of Hope & Anger Against Injustice that I always found missing from Thatcher's Politics , which only ever seemed to be about Greed , Selfishness , and some personally .driven Crusade , for which now sadly we are all living with the effects .....a Society that is out for themselves , in a World ruled by out of control Banks and ruthless Multinational Companies .

Keeping it Simple.....

TV and Radio Presenter Chris Evans , writing in his column in last week's Sunday Mail , told of his Family's trip to Swanage, how they'd had delicious Fish & Chips, and made Sandcastles on the Beach. He said it made him as contented as he'd ever been in his life. That's quite a statement from a Millionaire Celebrity , who could just as easily take his Family Holiday anywhere in the World, eat at any flash Restaurant , and enjoy the most sophisticated Entertainment going. And how heart-warming it was to read it.
I've lived in Swanage for over 20 years , and never tire of telling others what a great little place it is, and it's great to see this happening in a National Newspaper ( Even if is The Mail....!! )  But it's not just because it's my own Town that I find Mr. Evans' article so appealing. What I really like is to hear of a Family , be they "Celebrity" or otherwise, appreciating the "simple" pleasures of Life. We are surrounded by ever increasing Technology these days, kids are constantly bombarded by more and more Machinery that Advertisers try to convince them they simply can't exist without , so it genuinely warms the Cockles of my Heart to walk along the  Beach and see some youngsters construct a Sandcastle with paper flags flapping from the turrets, or to stroll along the Jetty and see a line of kids dangling Crab Lines into the water , eagerly trying for a catch.
We are constantly getting told by our Government that we are in for many years of Austerity , that we will all have to get used to spending less, so it's vital that we start to see the wonders of simple, inexpensive pleasures , and to realise that they can actually be far more rewarding than their more expensive alternatives. In my life , I've been fortunate enough to have seen some of the more exotic locations the world has to offer....I've seen a Storm over Ayers Rock, been on a train through the Canadian Rockies, paddled on Californian beaches, climbed up a volcano in Hawaii and slept under a blanket on the shore of The Sea of Galilee....All of those experiences will always stay with me, but the best Sunset I've ever seen was over Chapman's Pool....I can cycle there from home in under half an hour.....Some of the scenery I have within 30 minutes of my front door is as good and you will find anywhere in the world , and sometimes it's all too easy to overlook this , and to take it for granted. I try not to do this.....
The Government is currently running an expensive Advertising campaign to try and encourage people to take "Staycations" , to holiday in Britain. I'm all for this , and intend to try and see a bit more of our wonderful Island over the next few years. I'm slightly ashamed to say that I've seen more of Australia than I have of Britain. BUT.....The Government needs to realise that it's not simply enough to have Stephen Fry or Julie Walters telling us to take a British Holiday....It's money that talks, and quite frankly , it's bloody expensive to have a break in this Country. This needs to be looked at . We need to start realising that Public Transport should be run as a much needed Utility , and not as a way for Share Holders to make a profit. If someone in London is thinking of coming down to Swanage for a day at The Seaside , the thought of being stuck in a Jam on the M3 for 4 hours is likely to put them off.....Equally , the thought of having to spend over a hundred quid on a Family Rail Ticket would be just as much of a deterrent.
I would love to do a Barge Holiday on a British Canal , for example. It's wonderful, stress free, beautiful scenery , waterside pubs, camaraderie and escapism. It's also about a Thousand Pounds in the Summer. And for that we could all go to the South of France for a week. So we all do.....
It's not just about Holidays. I firmly believe that we ALL need to start exploring the simple things again. We know how to do it when we're 3 years old. When there's nothing more exciting than a Muddy Puddle to jump in. Then 15 years later , to attain that same level of wonderment , it takes a 400 quid iPhone with an endless array of Apps, or a shiny Sports Car , or a Jet Ski, or......
Give it a go.....Jump in a Muddy Puddle......Dangle a Crab Line......Build a Sandcastle ( and don't forget those flags....)   Rediscover your Simplicity.......

More Finkin' about Facebook.....

I promise you , not ALL my Blogs will be about my Falling Out Of Love With Facebook , but you know how it is at the end of a Relationship....Your mind is full of Reflections.....All the Good Things and Bad Things swilling around in your head, like tea leaves in a cup. I guess it's all part of The Process, where you're trying to convince yourself that you're doing The Right Thing , and not making a huge mistake.
You may say that being on a Social Networking site is actually not a big deal, and that I am spending FAR too much time on a subject that is very trivial. And you'd be absolutely right. And therein lies the problem. Depression is a Mental Illness. And Mental Illness  means that the "normal" workings of the mind are disturbed. And when these are disturbed , to whatever extent , things take on different levels of importance. Most of the "Hate" in my "Love/Hate" relationship with Facebook stems from the fact that I hate myself for becoming so addicted to the bloody thing. And when you are Depressed , your Self Esteem is already Shot To Pieces any way , so you don't really need any additional self-loathing.....You already have sufficient levels to get you by.
And because you are not very keen on yourself , you then become very "Needy" , and silly little things such as someone telling you that they "Like" what you've said , or a photo that you've taken , takes on FAR more importance than it should , and can become all-consuming. I remember when I was Backpacking in Australia many years ago , and went through a period of bad Homesickness, and you become obsessed by receiving a letter or phone call from home , and can think of nothing else.....Very similar emotions.....Seems daft when you're feeling "strong" , but not nearly as daft when you're not.
As I said in my previous Blog , when I was a Drinker , I was not very good at just having A Quiet Pint.....If I had one , it usually had to turn into A Session.....And I have been much the same with FB.....I don't seem to know when to stop.....One Witty Remark leads to another,one photo of the Sea becomes 10 ,   and before I know it, I'm waking up in Bed with a huge Hangover and a slight feeling of guilt and emptiness.  I guess I'm not very good at Moderation. I'm bloody good at Abstinence....I gave up both Smoking and Drinking over 20 years ago without any difficulties , so I guess that's the answer.
The other problem is that we all only have a limited supply of  Creativity. I have been using up all of mine on FB , leaving no time or space to explore other avenues. I would like to try many other things.....Watercolour Painting , Poetry , Stone Carving , Guitar playing.....Maybe even learning to ride that Unicycle I bought last year........Procrastination has always been my main talent in life......It's about time that I made my "Tomorrow" arrive Today........

Nice Legs, Shame about the Facebook.....

I'm giving this "Blogging" lark a bash, after 2 years of waffling away on Facebook , and having become increasingly disillusioned on that particular forum with the fact that people seem not to want to read anything that is longer than one sentence. Before I started to use Facebook ( Note the Drug terminology..."Use"....Suitable for anything addictive...) ....Anyway, before I started to use Facebook , I used to slag it off as only being for teenage girlies , or for those who wanted to tell others what they's had for Dinner. I really didn't get it....."WHY Oh Why do people want to share the dull details of their everyday existence with other People" wrote Confused of Swanage.
And then I stupidly went and had a Nervous Breakdown , which I decided to follow up with 2 years of Clinical Depression , and a long period where I was unable to work. There is only so much "Cash In The Attic" a man can watch before he looks for other ways to fill his days. Especially when much of his day is spent slumped in a corner of the lounge in a soporific state , with his ability to interract  successfully with his fellow Humans being seriously compromised by his Mental Health problems. So I turned to Dr. Facebook.
This also coincided with a discovery of The Camera. I've always been a keen walker, but my Depression took away the ability to actually enjoy this pastime. I carried on doing it , as even through the swirling mists of my addled mind, I knew that I had to push myself to keep doing something active , and I found that if I carried a camera, it gave the walk at least some sense of purpose. I also found that if I then posted these photos on Facebook, people seemed to like them.  I wasn't feeling particularly fortunate, but I could see that from other people's perspective , I was lucky enough to have the time and energy to walk and kayak in some beautiful places that were denied to the "Working Population." , so people were able to share some of Dorset's beauty through my lens.
I've always held quite strong Political views . I aired many of these on the pages of Facebook . People didn't always agree with these , but I did manage to at least stimulate some lively discussion, particularly around the time of the General Election. I also tried to develop several "Running Themes" , with topics such as Cheryl Cole, Harry Redknapp , and The Conservative Party . Without wishing to sound too pretentious , I saw my Facebook Page as a kind of Magazine, and attempted to avoid the whole " Today I had Egg & Chips " thing , that had originally filled me with such dread.
I also regularly commented on my ongoing struggle with Depression . As a Psychiatric Nurse myself, I am very keen to do my bit to try and break down some of the stigma attached to Mental Health issues, and have no problem with being very open about my own problems. I am very aware that this is not for everyone , and I could sense that not everyone felt comfortable with commenting on my Posts on this subject.
My affair with Facebook has always been a Love/Hate one. I possibly have an Addictive Personality. I gave up Drinking 20 years ago due to the fact that if I had One Pint ,  I would then need to have 8 or 9 more. So I stopped altogether. And Facebook has been much the same. Possibly due to having time on my hands, and struggling to involve myself in "Normal Social Situations" , it was all to easy to live life through the pages of Facebook , and I have over-indulged.
There have been many Positives. It has allowed me to express myself at a time when my thoughts may otherwise have been bottled up , and much of this unloading has been very cathartic. I have also become "Friends" with some lovely, interesting folk that I wouldn't have met , and also developed closer understanding of People that I thought I already knew well , but didn't.
So......Time to move on. I have tried several times to escape from Facebook World. I've dug tunnels underneath Wooden Horses , ridden pillion on Steve McQueen's Motorbike as he jumped the fence , and even just de-activated my Account. But crawled back every time with my tail between my legs.......So, I'm not going to say it's all over between us, but I shall be trying to see a little less of her , and to see how we go from there......