Back to work tomorrow
Well, it has been a lovely relaxing time off, despite the lunacy of the last two days over here on the blog ( this is what happens when J watches football and plays Halo 2, and I have time to vent months of irritation online.) I haven't done all the chores I meant to during the break, but I have relaxed, and boy, I needed to. I feel more normal now than I have done for ages.
I haven't made any New Years Resolutions. I don't have any expectations of sudden changes for the better and wonderful things in 2006. I will be happy if this year is just ordinary.
In some ways, though, this year is already horribly familar. In Iraq, the bloodiest day since the elections, over 50 dead in bomb attacks, including a family killedas America announces it has decided not to clean up the mess it has made.
It is July 7th almost every day over there.
12 of the 13 miners are dead, and the cruel news that they were thought alive makes their deaths all the more harrowing.
Ariel Sharon, who has dominated Israeli politics for so many years lies in intensive care, bleeding from the brain. Perhaps a different future for Israel and Palestine lies around the corner . I hope so.
Bird flu deaths in Turkey. The world feels anxious and uncertain, but I cannot stop watching the news.
Small things are good and they give me hope. Today I took the tube to Kings Cross and then to Russell Square, and I did not feel afraid. Yesterday and today I helped put the plans in place for Saturday, the 6 month anniversary of July 7th. We meet as a group, we welcome 3 new passengers. July is still much on my mind, but I hope this year sees me move further away from it all.
I turned down all media requests about the 6 month anniversary, and I corresponded with Hassan, an inspirational young Muslim man, of whom I hope to write more later.
I did some chores. I cleared out a lot of junk today , holding onto what is important and meaningful to me, and letting the rest go. A good thing to do at the beginning of a new year.
I haven't made any New Years Resolutions. I don't have any expectations of sudden changes for the better and wonderful things in 2006. I will be happy if this year is just ordinary.
In some ways, though, this year is already horribly familar. In Iraq, the bloodiest day since the elections, over 50 dead in bomb attacks, including a family killedas America announces it has decided not to clean up the mess it has made.
It is July 7th almost every day over there.
12 of the 13 miners are dead, and the cruel news that they were thought alive makes their deaths all the more harrowing.
Ariel Sharon, who has dominated Israeli politics for so many years lies in intensive care, bleeding from the brain. Perhaps a different future for Israel and Palestine lies around the corner . I hope so.
Bird flu deaths in Turkey. The world feels anxious and uncertain, but I cannot stop watching the news.
Small things are good and they give me hope. Today I took the tube to Kings Cross and then to Russell Square, and I did not feel afraid. Yesterday and today I helped put the plans in place for Saturday, the 6 month anniversary of July 7th. We meet as a group, we welcome 3 new passengers. July is still much on my mind, but I hope this year sees me move further away from it all.
I turned down all media requests about the 6 month anniversary, and I corresponded with Hassan, an inspirational young Muslim man, of whom I hope to write more later.
I did some chores. I cleared out a lot of junk today , holding onto what is important and meaningful to me, and letting the rest go. A good thing to do at the beginning of a new year.
posted by Rachel at 11:42 pm
Hi Rachel,
Happy New Year to you and all the KCU mob.
Hope you and J managed had a peaceful Xmas and didn't have to spend the day wrestling with Miffy for your share of the turkey!!!
I'll be having my own quiet moment on 7th, thinking of those impacted by the horrible events we have witnessed but I'll also be thinking with PRIDE of the amazing strength and barevery of those rebuilding their lives and supporting each other.
I hope 2006 brings us ALL peace and understanding (and perhaps a pools/lottery win just to ice the cake!!!).
Take care and keep up the writing.
Jo. xx
Thanks Mark, I will put that up as a post when I have a mo ( am at work at the moment) and I will also pass your details onto ITN who have been asking me if they can film survivors on 7/1 - I said no, because we are doing something private - but they might want to get in touch with you instead
Thank you for the new year wishes Jo , and happy new year to you
The tin foil hat brigade are an interesting lot but very annoying.
Just ignore them - they generally like to argued with.
The motivation for this kind of belief is interesting. A head shrinker friend of mine explained it thus - some people eople want to belive that *all* events are not random. Yet bad things happen. So, if the bad events are *all* the fault of a smal group of bad people who we (in the sense of our own society) can remove/defeat, we can take control from them. Then the world will be a lovely place.
The idea that perfect control is not possible terrifies some people.... the levers of power don't control the world.