This is the day that people in the UK have been dreading – the Budget from the new coalition government. It can be viewed as a disaster or as a necessity and to a certain extent it depends on how financially secure people feel. The recent weeks of forecasting great gloom and doom and massive cuts have affected me, in common with many people, in adverse ways. It is easy to become frightened and discouraged. And I, for one, am sad that it seems that many of the most vulnerable in society will be hard hit. That attitude goes together with a people who have stopped exercising compassion to the physically and mentally ill, the misfits, the elderly and so forth. And it makes me sad.
In past years, there has been a degree of political trickery and spin, whereby rumours are leaked of the worst secenarios, then the actuality is not so bad. It seems that this may not be so today. Things really are bad. Perhaps the only attitude to take is one of “we will prevail.” Maybe people have to opt out of the excesses of this country – there is after all, much that can be improved. But please God, we don’t lose our compassion for those who need help. That would be tragic. More so even, than a Cabinet where most of the members are millionaires.
The governor of the state where I live, Oregon, made a decision to cut the budget by nine per cent. That will reduce in-home care for the elderly and public school teachers. Other services as well will be reduced but the prisons will see no reduction. Why? Because in small communities these are what provide incomes. Dark, very dark here as well as where you are.
For some time I’ve been saying to my spouse that the challenge for us as older, pretty comfortable Americans to find ways to be positive with our children and grandchildren–as your focus on a grandchild’s first driver’s license. Since our grandkids are much younger, it’s pretty easy to be upbeat with them. It’s their parents who need our help in re-directing conversation away from the daily bad news on the economy and the environment. It is a work in progress and I’m glad you have commented about it.
Thanks, Naomi, you are so right. In fact I have been reading a meditative piece about children (and grandchildren) this week and will be posting about it. We definitely need to be a calm and reassuring presence for our offspring.
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