A couple of perspectives from my travelling:

1. A major part of the joy of travelling is coming home. This Christmas I particularly feel for people who are forced to travel and have no prospect of returning home, particularly asylum seekers who are exiled from their own country and barely welcomed in ours, where the language, culture and climate are so different, where they have to relearn how to do everything you need to do to survive. They face these challenges in a situation where they have no status, and are not allowed to work to earn money and provide for themselves. I can only begin to imagine how demeaning that feels.

The crazy thing is that they are usually very skilled people, who really want to contribute and who are real grafters as well. I also feel for people on the streets who have no home to return to at all.

Of course the Christmas story involves a family travelling. They were returning to Joseph’s ancestral home. But what that was like for a pregnant Mary I don’t know. And shortly afterwards they had to flee to Egypt; a much longer journey to a country where the language, culture and many other things would have been different. Food for thought…

2. Weirdly, although many of us struggle with the short days and dark nights and mornings at this time of year in our time zone, when I was in Australia, I remember I reached a point when my body was longing for the days to get shorter (at the very point when they were in fact getting longer over there). I was longing for dark and cold! And I have loved coming back to the dark and cold. I wonder whether viewing this season as one for hibernation (as a few of my friends have been doing) is a more positive and natural way of living in it. Demanding less of ourselves each day. It’s a thought.

Anyway, I hope whatever your circumstances that you and yours have a happy Christmas. And wherever there is darkness, may light come.

After her traumatic visit to the vets yesterday for a booster injection, Xena (Warrior Princess) has learned how to use the cat flap! Finally! Both going out and coming in! We are overwhelmed. And relieved. And not a little proud, too, actually! 😅

My only concern; will she ever bother sitting on our laps again??

Here are some pics showing how we got through general election night. To quote the song, “I get by with a little help from my friends…” There’s a lot to be said for looking out for one another. Something that may become ever more important in the future, whatever anyone’s politics…

Well, they managed to take so long over organising the election that I was back in time to vote. I’m thankful for that, at least. But otherwise, I have to say the mood here is gloomy and not a little anxious. And I feel frustrated that some of the people hardest hit by the policies of our current government somehow still don’t link their own struggles with the cruel policies that have by and large caused them.

And I’m annoyed that so many people who live here and work and contribute in many ways to our society don’t get a vote, because they are from somewhere else.

But none of this is significant compared with the daily torrent of horror stories I hear about people stuck in our totally dysfunctional asylum system, under constant threat of being sent back to life threatening situations. And the stories of ordinary local people taking their own lives because they just can’t see how they can feed themselves and their families, even though they are working, because they are not paid enough and the work is based on a zero hours contract which, let’s face it, is no contract at all.

Then I remember my own story. Not so long ago, I was diagnosed with cancer, and became the grateful recipient of thousands of pounds worth of world class medical treatment on the NHS. My oncologist friend quietly informed me at the start of this that if I had loads of money and went for private healthcare, it would make no difference, because the private system would refer me to the NHS for my treatment anyway. Because our NHS is that good, it can’t be beaten by private healthcare when it comes to cancer treatment. Just stop and reread that for a moment. And I paid nothing for this, because the NHS exists to treat people at their point of need, irrespective of their income or social standing.

And yet recently, I heard of a guy stuck in the asylum system for over ten years, who’s been sent bills for thousands of pounds for his life saving NHS treatment, because our current government is committed to creating a “hostile environment” for all asylum seekers. He literally came out of a coma to be presented with a bill he can have no hope of paying because this government won’t let him work. He’d love to work, but he’s not allowed to. But they want him to pay for his treatment.

I am appalled that anyone in our country has voted to let this type of situation continue, and no doubt get worse. And this is not some random urban myth. I know the guy’s Dad, also stuck in the asylum system for over ten years, who was released from detention and threat of deportation just a few months ago only because of a change.org petition, which went viral instantly due to the guy’s tireless voluntary work in the city, and a Guardian headline, which forced the Home Office to give him a reprieve. Temporarily.

These stories are the stories of my friends. I am ashamed to live in a country where we not only think this is OK but we vote to let it continue. I’ve stayed up this late watching the election. I hope the result is not as the predictions suggest, but I fear it will be.

Whatever happens, there is tomorrow. We’re never beyond redemption, but we are going to need to help each other and encourage each other in the days ahead. And I’d love to challenge myself and everyone else to consider people who, often through no fault of their own, have fallen on hard times. Anyone can get cancer, or be made redundant, or suffer a mental illness that makes it impossible for them to work. Today it might be someone else, tomorrow it could be me or you. I’d love to see a government that actually gave a damn about those vulnerable people, and made some provision for them.

…And don’t even get me started on climate change. Until we start taking that much more seriously the world literally is going to hell in a handcart.