Surviving

Well, I suppose survival has been the name of the game for much of the last two years. Social distancing, masks, vaccinations has become the pattern and the way we once lived our lives the exception. It has also been somewhat Sisyphean, with new variants and new alarums constantly pushing back the tantalizing (to mix my myths!) prospect of some return to normality. Whatever that was! There were some great aspects of it all, though. Most people seemed to find an inner strength at first and a new morality, with cars and the treadmill giving way to walking and befriending the neighbours (albeit at the right distance!), and with polluted skies and the constant strain of the hurley-burley being replaced by a strange tranquility. I personally enjoyed a real purple patch with poems and pictures flowing like there was no tomorrow (which at one stage seemed entirely possible), followed by short run publications and plans for exhibitions next year. But sadly it seems to have only been a passing illusion. Cars now clog the roads again, most people have returned to the office, the snarl has returned to the faces of so many, the projects and the dreams have been shelved until another pandemic - and the politicians have proved to be as untrustworthy as ever. Indeed, it looks ever more likely that Trump will return to horrify us all again in 2024. Reckon it's time to fill up the drinks fridge in the studio and to batten down the hatches there, with the music turned up to full volume! Sadly, I can't, however. I'm in hospital being operated on in a couple of days. My punishment for daring to believe things might just be different? Anyhow, I leave you with an updated website. Have a look. There are, I think, one or two things well worth the visit.......