It has been a month since the country which I no longer regard as home elected a clown as its prime minister. I have stopped actively listening to the daily news from the UK and only catch it accidentally between symphonies on Radio 3.
When the leadership of countries is given over to individuals who are media personalities like Trump or Johnson, their manic self-absorption demands our constant attention. There comes a point when we have to say, «Put a sock in it, pal: your drama is your problem!» Turn them off.
But there’s also a climate crisis. Have you heard? Greenland is on track to lose four hundred billion tons of ice. What are you going to do about it? I have decided I am not going to do anything about it. The numbers make me giddy. If I could go out and plant four hundred billion trees, that might be a good solution? Or maybe I’ll just have a cup of tea.
I’ll get around to planting four hundred billion trees some other time… after I’ve solved the war in the Middle East, Australia going up in smoke, the consequences of Brexit, and the growth of the extreme right in Europe.
Or is the news itself the real problem? You can choose to turn off the crisis. The head-in-the-sand image of the ostrich is the stock response to those «in denial» about the things we are told to spend our time fretting about.
I am not sure why ostriches stick their heads in the sand, but if it is a successful way of avoiding the headline news about the world reaction to the latest insane tweet by a president with a severe personality disorder, that is surely a very positive response, isn’t it?
And with your head in the sand you can avoid the latest health scare telling you that you will be ingesting several kilos of microplastics during your lifetime. It also has the added advantage that you are not ingesting anything for as long as your head is in the sand… except maybe a little sand.
Activism may be a valid response to the various crises that we constantly hear about in features of the press; but only if it makes you feel better. (Oh wait: does Greta Thunberg really look as if she feels better?) There was a slogan during the activist riots in Paris in 1968: «Be realistic: demand the impossible!» Who could doubt that the student rioters in Paris had a great time? But half a century later, you would be a fool to claim that they changed France in the slightest.
I was scandalised a month ago by the news that a third of UK young people eligible to vote, and under the age of thirty, had not taken the trouble to vote in a general election that would determine whether the country stayed in the European Union or left. «Don’t they even care that their government wants to curtail their freedom of movement!» I screamed.
But on reflection, I should consider myself a complete fool for wasting three years of my life – including the first two years of my retirement – fighting for a sensible pro-remain argument based on political and economic sense. The majority of British here in Spain adopted the ostrich position from 2016 until the present and didn’t waste any energy whatsoever on these arguments, and they probably felt much the better for it.
Should I now regret flying to London twice to take part in marches for a Peoples’ Vote? Did my carbon footprint contribute to those four hundred billion tons of ice melting into the sea? Climate scientists at the University of Alicante have told us the sea level on the beaches of the Costa Blanca will rise by two centimetres by the end of the century, and it’s all my fault.
I should feel very guilty and get depressed about that. But I won’t. I am going to have a cup of tea and then I’m going to forget about it and groom the donkeys. There’s a limit.
Update 10 a.m.
«Silly horse? I’ll give you silly horse!»
Rubí donkey has been sitting down in muck all night and is in the worst state I’ve ever seen her! Unfortunately it’s only 12 degrees out there this morning, so she can’t have a wash because she would be in danger of catching a chill. Smelly Rubí!
Equus Asinus 
Well, Gareth I must say that I look to the adage of ‘can I do anything about it?’ «No» then why should I worry! If the answer is «Yes» then get up off your posterior and do it! So I have indeed been to all marches in the U.K. – London, Manchester, Leeds and again in London I think 3 times. And it has kept us in the EU up until then end of this month of January 2020. Whether it has helped? I do not honestly know, but that is the point in my humble opinion I have been ‘honest’ and tried my best to stop these ‘Charlatans’ from doing us all harm.
Now it seems; there are (due to Gerrymandering and DenyingMyVote etc) and the Tabloid Rags have won after about 40 years of Propaganda!
Being born in the middle of WWII and spending my youth on old Bomb Sites in London and having our weekly bath in the old tin bath in our scullery, sharing the water of my two elder sisters after they had finished. I do not particularly want to go back to those times.
My country of birth has been ‘stolen’ from me I feel. The Buffoons that are now in Power are ‘Shameless’ it would seem.
I will not worry my head about it anymore though, but when the needs arise I will nevertheless arise once more to jump into the breach no doubt.
Covering my tracks with a Dual Nationality will ensure that I maintain my beloved Freedom of Movement and visiting my friends over the whole of Europe, if needs be walking there too…..
Take care my friend and give my regards to the Donks….
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I was imaging a supernova in Taurus yesterday when supertramp came to mind. On July 4 1054, the Arabs and the Chinese recorded the same with their naked eye. In January 2020, you need a big telescope and hours of patience to be able to see it. It just goes to show the effect that Brexit has had on the atmosphere. And sea level.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iTxqKzXi85E191ZM8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TqBDpHcf75qJNx9RA
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Sadly, I cannot subscribe to this version of the blog because the ‘Follow via email’ link, if link it be, does not function. But I see there is a tick box below this comment box so I’ll try that instead. Currently battening down the hatches against a storm called Brendan.
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Hello Tuppence and happy new year! Ratbag and Sheel also commented on the last post, so the Staffroom is partly re-assembling! I haven’t seen anything of Martin here for a while. He used to occasionally comment as «Meerkat».
Brendan is a nice name for a storm. Enjoy!
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Hi. We spoke on the Guardian website sometime back about nationality tests etc. Thought you may like to know that I applied for my nationality early November and I have been granted it end of last week. Just two months, including all fiestas!!!! Amazing. Will be off to the registry to swear allegiance to King Felipe and then to the police for the DNI.
I also have finished listening to any BBC news/politics output as was appalled at their illegal bias during the election.
I will be truly Spanish very shortly so I wash my hands of the UK. Just hope theyt don’t freeze the pension when it eventually comes.
Best wishes
Nicky
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Hi Nicky! That is amazingly fast, especially as there have been stories going around recently about a 2-3 year backlog! I have my DELE2 Spanish language exam on 14 February. Now you have sworn allegiance to King Felipe you can expect his orders in the post shortly to report for duty in the Legión Española and go to train in Marruecos… 🙂
As a coincidence, I have just been contacted by Margaret Hales in ECREU because the Spanish media are looking to interview Brits who are becoming Spanish. I’ll send her email to you. Great news. Well done!
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