I know it’s February already but other topics got priority for my scribbles! Even taking a succinct look at what I want for 2023 (see PC 318) resulted in the need to have a second postcard. Could of course go on and on!!
If two individuals are having a conversation about the price of eggs, or Aunt Jemima’s pancakes, or why they should lose weight, or simply catching up with the relevant or irrelevant gossip, and a mobile, ‘cell’ if you’re American, rings, I want its owner not to say “Sorry! I have to take this”, sometimes not even looking down to see who’s calling them. If you are talking to someone, it’s nice to have their full attention and vica versa. It may be convenient for the person calling to make the call, but may not be for those having a chat. Yet there seems to be a compulsion to answer it and I want it to stop for it’s such bad manners and downright rude.
I want us to repeat to ourselves, every day, that there are no guarantees in life and the time we are given is precious; we need to make the most of every day. A cliché? So what!
We all hate plastic and it’s become the environmental bogyman! But the plastic has become stronger and you can no longer rip it. I want this to change!
I had to cut this plastic bag of potatoes with some scissors!
I know that many other countries are grappling with the same issues as the United Kingdom, different in some nationalistic ways but the real nub the same. One particular one, put briefly: how do you provide affordable health and social care for a population where the proportion of those needing care is growing and that cost has to be paid for by the working population which is shrinking. I want the current government to scope a solution.
The NHS in the United Kingdom is a money pit that suffers from a hugely inefficient bureaucracy. Currently it’s struggling to cope with huge numbers of Covid and winter influenza cases and something needs to change. Too many vested interests have resisted change and more public money is poured after public money, for no identifiable difference. There are lots of good suggestions floating around and not one of them says throw more money at it. If I need to see a health specialist, a dermatologist for instance, I need to go through my GP to get a referral. Why? Why can’t I ring a dermatologist?
During the pandemic all doctor’s appointments went online; many have stayed on line. But if you can’t get a GP appointment and are so minded to present yourself at A&E for your in-growing toenail or other minor ailment, the ‘cost’ of the A&E appointment is about £360 whereas your GP’s about £40. Makes no sense!
The shadow health secretary has suggested working to phase out smoking, highlighting the damage to individuals’ and the nation’s health and the costs incurred as a result. I could say the same about drinking; on a conservative estimate some 50% of the paramedic’s call-outs are to someone where alcohol is the cause. I want the message to be starker, more understood. I want us all to take more personal responsibility for what we do and how we do it. Recently during a strike by paramedics, attendance at A&E was down 60%. There must have been a proportion of these who didn’t bother to go the following day, having solved the issues themselves?
I take some medications as a result of having a heart bypass ten years ago. Do I need to take them for ever? So often GPs simply add a new medication for a patient and never review the whole list. Some 80 year olds are apparently taking over 8 different medications. This could be costly for the NHS and I want someone to do a review.
We sadly too often read of a case where, for whatever reason, a man, and it’s usually a man, has had enough of his family; he decides that the only way to gain personal satisfaction is to kill them, and then commit suicide. Even in this moment of madness, I want him to spare his children. (Note 1)
In the United Kingdom the maximum length of our Parliament is five years. So the political party spends 18 months trying to implement its election campaign commitments, soft peddling for a year or so before thinking how it’s going to win the next general election. I want a new apolitical body to help define some form of National Strategy that has a 10 – 20 year view.
I want us all to accept others for whom and what they are, but we seem to have got our knickers in a complete twist when it comes to gender identity and sexual orientation. I understand that for a small section of our society these are weighty matters and deserve attention, discussion, advice and debate, but when teachers are asked to ‘identify’ with a personal pronoun, I am afraid I roll my eyes skywards. And on the subject of acceptance, we have a number of religions on the planet and there is a degree of ‘If you don’t agree with our beliefs, you must be against us.’ No! I am not; I just want you to accept I am not.
I remember, many years ago, reading of the planned renovation of a tall brick/stone tower that had steps to the top, giving those who made the climb a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. The grant making the renovation possible required that it had access for wheelchair users. This would have meant the installation of a lift and there wasn’t room in the tower for a lift-shaft. So the renovation didn’t go ahead and the tower was closed, depriving the huge majority the experience to climb up. I want more common sense please!
Mind you, if the predictions about extinction (see PC 318) are to be believed future generations will not have to worry about these ‘wants’ or anything else for that matter!
Richard 10th February 2023
Hove
Note 1 Last weekend we had another case. George Pattison, 39, murdered his forty-five year old wife, Epsom College’s head teacher Emma, and their daughter Lettie (7) and then committed suicide. He spared the Labrador puppy ….. but not his daughter.
postcards 