back again after being ripped off by wix, which has tried to charge me £240 renewal and yet did not help me promote my blog. Back here and hoping for a better deal and help in promoting my blogs which are a combination of age related info and support plus a way of both spreading whatever my thoughts are about life now plus a little social relaxation around my life and pets. Hope you will enjoy some of what i publish. Hers my wonderful, gentle dog
It is really hard to avoid doomscrolling at the moment as there is so much terrible news and ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing, but for my own and close family and friend sake it seems necessary to only keep abreast of events to keep motivating oneself to continue to protest, write and support demonstrations and resistance movements. On the other hand it seems necessary to also focus on positive news and to try and live and enjoy the here and now. Without hope it is hard to stay personally optimistic or to encourage others to 'keep on trucking' to use the old Fabulous Freak brothers mantra.
So I have been encouraged by the return of a few different species of butterfly, a few more plaaces around us where the sound of daytime cicadas can be heard and even in early Summer a few frogs still crying out for mates in the basin of a friend's garden.
While knowing that the Democrats can hardly be called socialist or radical at least they have a couple of candidates who are to the left of the party, offer improvement in the lives of ordinary Americans and hopefully see off the Trump MAGA racist neofascist wave. only can only hope that if they win then maybe just maybe they can bring an end to the genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. In the mean time bit by bit the horror of Gaza is forcing some companies to stop their embrace and arming of the Israeli government and there is some hope that we and France will be forced to stop arming the IDF's offensive
As someone who is both a senior, campaigning for age equality, friendliness and age diversity as well being someone who tries to persuade other elders to embrace their earlier baby boomer identities and vote for progressive change, I am both hopeful yet fearful of whether the new government can deliver the changes we so desperately need.
Only if people of all ages see that their private and public lives are improving can we hope to stem the tide of reactionary, racist and anti equalitarian movements that are gaining ground via a biased hard right media, funded by hard right billionaires and supported by global corporate lobbying.
So what do we seniors want and need and are there similarities between the needs of the elders and the young? Well lets take one thing at a time.
Improved local services for starters, re-opening libraries, community and sports centres, providing safe open spaces with accessible and clean toilets. This means funding for local government, for the voluntary sector and social enterprises to provide facilities accessible and welcoming to all that enable us to meet, to read, research, use computing facilities, have access to training and support, meals and meeting places, encouraging healthy activities and social interaction. If this is done then there are many problems which will be addressed, the isolation and loneliness of many older people, the poor mental and physical health of many particularly the poor.
These investments - which would be new and refurbished buildings and spaces but also require ongoing staffing and volunteers and would also be welcomed by young parents with small children, who also need these types of facilities, including soft play and creches as well as young people who need access to social and sporting and leisure facilities that are free or affordable.
It may also open the way to more intergenerational connections and even friendships.
Lets hope that devolving power to local authorities and mayors and providing the resources and investment long term facilities and being properly staffed can start us down the road to better more communal, happy and healthy lives which should lower the anger, hate and hopelessness which undermines our society now
Well for all those who still don't realise our climate and environment is reaching tipping point, how does the weather seem to you.
In the hills of Southern France we have been experiencing a long drawn drawn out hot and dry summer. Even with the occasional heavy storm the rivers are low and we are being told to prepare for a drought.
We are comparatively lucky being in the hills so the temperature under the trees is just about bearable, but even here nature is taking a beating. Hardly any sounds from the daytime cicadas any more, the noise of frogs and toads is sadly diminished, there are less varieties of butterfly around our flowers, less insects so less bats.
Back in UK it seems after constant rain and flooding you are now experiencing hot spells followed by heavy storms.
So as we watch our world slowly disintegrate why are governments criminalising peaceful demonstrators protesting against the permanent damage being done by by big oil and gas plus the banks and hedge funds that profit from our planet's loss.
Could it be that billionaires and their media are now so powerful and have sufficient funds to bribe, control or take over our governments instead of representing the needs, beliefs and interests of the majority of people particularly the young.
As a senior I would like to say that the young and old protestors have my support and hope that soon we can beat those who would kill off our diverse natural world and watch from their mansions, yachts and jets as the rest of us slowly burn
There are hundreds of thousands of registered unemployed over 50s plus millions categorised as economically inactive who want to work but are not registered with or by the DWP.
We need a commitment from the next government of whatever colour that they will offer serious age specific and local support for all who wish to return to work.
But we also need the elephant in the room addressing: ageism among recruiters and employers.
This requires a major promotional and educational programme through partnership between national, regional and local government, the voluntary sector, trade unions and employers networks.
Only when this happens will millions of older working age ( 50- 66+) and pensioners wanting and needing work be able to return to the workforce and the labour shortages currently facing employers be addressed. This requires serious training, re-training, skills and qualifications updated.
Until then there will be many many older people and their families i poverty and facing isolation and depresion
