THOUGHTS FROM A DEVONSHIRE FARMHOUSE
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August
COMMUNITY?
The dictionary definition of community:
‘A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic. The condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests.’
‘Community’, in the friendly sense we think of, fits especially well for small areas of a town, but more especially in a rural village. I thought about this the other morning while admiring the exhibits being set out for our annual village flower and vegetable show in the (community) village hall which is next to the (community) village shop). Most of us had struggled to find suitable flowers or veg to enter because of the rotten weather: I entered four double fuchsia flowers – but didn’t expect to get 1st, 2nd or 3rd because one of the blooms had a brown mark on its petal... as it happened mine was the only entry in that section, so did get an honour, but I can’t really be elated about it. (Needless to say, the next day the fuchsias in my garden were out in all their glory!) I didn’t get anywhere with the single bloom entry. My poinsettia plants took 2nd and 3rd and my six parsley sprigs gained a 2nd. So that was something.
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| single fuchsias from a previous show (not mine!) |
The whole point, though, is the anticipation of growing or arranging or making something to enter and enjoying the camaraderie of the community coming together.
The hall was buzzing with villagers looking for where to put their flower arrangements, their shelled peas, enormous onions. (And one exhibit was enormous!)
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| Enormous onions! photo © Paul Sopp |
A lot of us were wandering up and down between the tables muttering numbers under our breath: “Class 23 where’s class 23?” And everyone was smiling, saying good morning or hello, the atmosphere congenial and friendly. This continued at the dog show outside on the field warmed by sporadic sunshine, and into the afternoon when judging was completed and the kitchen was opened for tea, coffee and home-made cakes. (Who made the scones? They were delicious!)
Eagerly we went to see how our exhibits had fared. All of which, I guess, is the real definition of ‘community’ – a coming together of like-minded people, offering friendship and support, enhanced by chatter and laughter.
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| photo © Paul Sopp |
The show is meant to be fun, although some people do take their participation very seriously, especially the veg growers, but I think the rivalry was taken more seriously in the past when there were public squabbles over bending (or ignoring) the rules, and maybe even accusations of deliberate sabotage! Add into the mix the rumour of witchcraft and moral issues... and you have a super basis for a Cosy Mystery. (Read on!)
Our present secretary, Alison, has loaned me the minutes of committee meetings from the early 1970s (thanks Alison,) because the next Jan Christopher Mystery is to be ‘A Mischief of Murder’ set around the machinations of ... yes, the Village Show. I don’t think anyone in our community would deliberately nobble someone else’s prize Gladioli ... or would they? No spoilers for Jan #6, but let’s just say Aunt Madge and Uncle Toby have to step in at the last minute to judge, and something suspicious was happening down among the onions. I’ve warned the village that they have to be nice to me for the next few months, otherwise someone might end up as the fictional murder victim or the murderer! (Oh, the power of being an author!)
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| ... you've been warned! |
The general friendship is what I like about our village – especially where the pub and the shop are concerned. You don’t always get the same sense of well-being in towns, in many places people don’t even know who their neighbours are, let alone someone who lives further away. (My neighbours are about ¼ mile away.) I confess I don’t know everyone’s name from the village, especially new people, but this is because of my poor vision – I have difficulty recognising faces. I go by voice, and for people I know, by their shape, body language and the way they walk. And I guess this is the only downside of being in a small village, I’ve lived here for eleven years now, and it’s a bit awkward to peer at someone and say, “Who are you then?” because either I never knew in the first place, or I’ve completely forgotten!
You’d think that there would be some sort of sense of community in other areas where the same people meet regularly or have something in common, wouldn’t you? Parliament for instance. Perhaps there is ‘community’ behind the scenes, but the public face of sniping and back-biting/back-stabbing is becoming worrying. The present political nastiness in America, even more so. Yes, there is bound to be rivalry, and heckles of ‘they [the opposition] did/didn’t do...’ whatever. Blame, accusation, even ridicule – but is this outright rudeness now becoming an evil which is taking over as a normal way of promoting yourself? Is the craving for power and status, of becoming famous and 'loved by all', being obtained by brash, even lewd, objectional behaviour? Where once, compassion, empathy - what quaintly used to be called being polite is now shoved aside by shouting abuse?
I have to say this: has it not occurred to some of these people that the Devil also looks after his own, not necessarily God?
Calling someone in public ‘a bum’ is not being clever. It's degrading.
What has happened to dignity? To self pride? The personal honour, the self respect and respect for others? What has happened to the shunning of blatant lies or outright threats to universal democracy? Are our supposed communities becoming blas̩ about actually applauding Рand even possibly emulating Рthe actions of a warmongering dictator like Mr Putin? Why do apparently intelligent people support blatant racists, misogynists, liars and self-created power seekers? Can they not see the destructiveness of hate and the rise of lies and counter-lies? The unrest and cross dissatisfaction which is being spread, almost unchallenged, by social media?
The Internet is wonderful, but I sometimes wish – like splitting the atom – that it had never been discovered in the first place because what was meant to be good and useful has overwhelmingly turned into a raging monster.
And petulant defensiveness over normal, civilised conversations seem to be rising. People would rather argue, blame, misunderstand and even fight, rather than listen to balanced reason or polite tact. The art of taking a deep breath and considering what is true, what isn't, rather than leaping in to protest or snipe an answer? Fake news and conspiracy theories drown out common sense.
Why?
I find it all very disturbing.
Whatever happened to this good advice: “If you can’t say something sensible/nice, say nothing at all?”
Discontent and the 'me, me, me' culture is morphing into hate, and is spreading like a cancer - or Covid. Rage leads to a seventeen-year-old in a suburb of Liverpool marching into a children's summer dance class with full intention to kill. My heart goes out to those families, their friends - and the entire community. Young children - one of the dead was six years old. To what point? Why?
And then the utter despicable disgrace of outsiders believing the social media conspiracy fake news theories, which led to an anti-Muslim attack on a Mosque. These rioters were not from the area, their information was false, fired by racist inaccuracy and has shown nothing but disrespect and appalling behaviour to a close-knit community that is deep in grief. How dare these awful people do this?
To balance, the community, according to our BBC News, came together to clear up the mess made by this unforgivable act of hate and destruction, to help mend, physically and mentally, the damage done. Good for them, I applaud you. That is real Community.
I hold dreadful groups like the EDL (English Defence League) and Nigel Farage to blame as stirring the hatred - I do not want the likes of Farage, a Trump accolite, speaking his deceitful garbage here in the UK. He is most definitely NOT speaking for me! I also think some of those who followed his rhetoric during the election were deceived. His true colours will out at some point. Already are.
I've met the likes of EDL, the National Front and 'those' sort at the Battle of Hastings re-enactments in the past. King Harold II is, rightfully, a hero - but a hero to them for all the wrong reasons. These followers claim 'England for the English', which is racist-speak against all immigrants. Years ago, I was asked by one group to be their patron. They dropped the offer when I firmly stated that I was British, not English - my DNA proving that I am descended from Britons who were here before the Romans and well and truly here before the English Anglo-Saxons crossed the Channel, mostly uninvited, in their boats as mass migration settlers. Immigrants.
The same can be said for the unsettling discourse in the USA. Anti-immigrant, meaning anti anyone coming from Mexico. Yes it's a problem, yes I can see why the disquiet, the unease, BUT apart from Native Americans - the American 'Indians' ALL Americans are immigrants from one race or another, either by deliberate emigration or enforced slavery. Maybe that should be remembered a little more?
The only explanation for all this hate which is suffocating everyone and everything, is that it is being deliberately fuelled by religious fanatics of various faiths (and yes, I include Christians,) or politicians and leaders around the world who don't give a damn for who or what they crush beneath their cloven-hoofed feet in order to retain or gain personal power. At whatever the cost.
This spreading hatred has to stop, but the cork is out of the bottle, the box has been opened and the genie has been released.
Our only salvation might be in small, friendly, intelligent, sensible communities who value Pandora's Box for what was left within it when it was opened.
Hope.
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| summer show 2023 |
lege feliciter
(read happily)
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It's hideous, isn't it? I watch with ever-growing horror and dismay as people become increasing vile to each other. I've never forgotten the horrible abuse I saw on social media about one of the small bridesmaids at a royal wedding years back. To be vile about a little child because she wasn't as pretty as the others is particularly nasty. People don't seem to want to see the other side any more. At the moment, I'm lucky enough to live in a street (and town) that is quite community minded. Long may that continue.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid the Trump-style politics of the day - childish abuse of all your rivals - is spreading, though, as is mob hysteria.