The Big Society.

I try so very hard to keep this blog neutral in every sense of the word neutral. I have my views about religion but I try hard to keep my stories so that those with one religion and those with none will feel comfortable with the story. I have my political beliefs, even though I not longer really have any political affiliations, but I try to keep this blog so that those from all sides of the political divide might find something to think about.

This gets harder and harder at present in this land I live in. So forgive me if just for a moment I stray into forbidden territory.

These last few days I have heard very little but people talking about what our government calls, “The Big Society.” I have listened and listened to try and learn just exactly what this means.  Let me rant just for a bit . You can stop at any point as long as you read the last two lines or so.

Where have we arrived and seem to be continuing to head?

We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider motorways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much.

We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.  We have added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less.

We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but, lower morals.

We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication.  We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are the days of quick trips, disposable nappies, throw away morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. Where indeed are we heading?

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. Or in my case the art world would forget me.

 But the family we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.


And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.


So what is the morale of the story????

Yes let us think about the big society and make this a better place to live but I think we need to start thinking about closer to home. If we could get family right, society would take care of itself.

This Blog is linked to my other. Summer Will Come