28th September, 2020. 198 days in lockdown/isolation.

Imagine being born in 1926. You have been lucky enough to miss The Great War where 22 million died. You missed a pandemic of Spanish flu where 50 million died.

Your family survives the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange causing inflation, unemployment and famine. Your survival was due in no small measure to your parents.

When you were 7, Hitler came to power.

You were 13 when World War 2 began and 19 when it ended with 60 million dead. In the Holocaust, 6 million Jews died.

When you were 26, the Korean War began, When you were 48 the Vietnam War began and ended when you were 59.

A child born in 1985 thinks his parents and grandparents and great grandparents have no idea how difficult life is now but between them they have survived several wars and catastrophes including wars in the Falklands, Iran and Iraq and witnessed natural disasters like tsunamies and global famines.

Today we have all the comforts of a new world amid a new pandemic. But many complain because they need to wear a mask. They complain because they are confined to their homes where they have food, electricity, running water, wi-fi and Netflix etc. etc. None of that existed back in the day. They are not forced out of their homes which have been bombed into oblivion, they are not strafed by planes as they run away from a rampaging enemy army. They are not being evacuated to a strange house with nothing but a few clothes and a gas mask, at under 10 years of age. But humanity has survived all that and has never lost it’s joy of living. So stop complaining about pub opening and closing times, being stuck in halls at university and being like spoilt brats. You are lucky.

A small change in our perspective can generate miracles. We should be thankful that we are alive. We should do everything we can to protect and help each other.

(This rant is not all my own work)

Ronnie’s team won 3-1 on Sunday morning. He played up front in the first half and in goal in the second. A real all rounder and he had a very good game earning the praise of his coaches.

Our Scottish trip is still on and although the weather looks bad, our friend Sue may come down from Edinburgh for lunch.

There seem to be the origins of a divide between old and young as to who is to blame for the second wave. May I just say that over 50’s don’t go to raves or pubs and hang around after they have been “thrown out”. Maybe when they shut pubs altogether, things will improve.