I was 75 on Valentines Day. I have lived through 7 decades and I always imagined by the time I reached my 75th year that we would have progressed so much that we would be living in a peaceful world, free from wars, hunger, poverty and violence.
I thought by now we would have learned from our mistakes and would have put the world to rights.
But instead here in Northern Ireland even after 40 plus years of the ‘troubles’ we still haven’t really learned to coexist with our neighbours. There is still an undercurrent of an, us and them mentality, not always on the surface but close enough to stop full integration and a positivity for the future.
Due to the incompetence of those who run our country, the health service is being destroyed. As a child growing up up in the fifties the NHS was a place where you were treated immediately, a doctor called on you at home, and hospitals were run efficiently and I believe without so much bureaucracy. Now money is frittered away and there doesn’t seem to be anyone capable of budgeting the books and improving services.
We have politicians complementing their constituents on having the best food banks. Can’t they see the irony ?
On a world wide scale we have many countries at war either internally or from an external source. Thousands are killed every day and we look at horrific pictures coming out of these war zones and we become increasingly immune to what is going on.
America lost its standing as the most powerful country in the world when Donald Trump was elected and became a laughing stock.
Climate change is another big problem. We can see it here in the UK with the amount of rain we are seeing and the number of storms this year already.
We need to vote wisely in the next election. Vote for those who will strive to improve day to day living and be wary of those who vote based on a flag.
Think of the long term future. I don’t want my grandchildren or great grandchildren growing up in a dystopian society but unfortunately the future doesn’t look very bright at the moment.
It’s up to all of us to help change the future.
CHATTER 