Bring on Wetherspoons!

I wish this country could be run by Wetherspoons. They are very focused on customer service; I am reminded of the text in the Bible beginning ‘ no man can serve two masters…..’ you can’t have a profit-based power based globalist mind set at the same time as serving John Smith who cannot necessarily speak up for himself and who needs a listening ear. It was a joy to come in to the establishment this morning and see a real live fire. There is no substitute for a home but this makes the place homely and the sort of atmosphere where you can relax even when you are on your own.

The local branch here in Midsomer Norton

Articles I enjoyed reading for various reasons…

The first one is from SPIKED ; Woke books are a flop with readers.
The second one is I was sacked as a school chaplain for my Christian Beliefs

I think the woke movement is largely created by people bought and paid for by the entities that wish to change the nature of society and destroy any semblance of normality. I have learnt through having met woke people that they are both angry and ignorant. We are hardly avant garde around here but I have never had a need to talk to anybody about wokeness. I don’t think people understand what it means and they are not remotely interested. It means nothing to them as they conduct their daily lives

The second article is about a chaplain in a private school who preached basically the sanctity of marriage in a sermon in 2019. Isis of one anonymous email by one pupil, was sacked and reported to the relevant of authorities. This seems to me the most craven and gutless response by those running the school. In theory you could destroy the whole school by a series of anonymous letters by individuals who apparently have no responsibility and ability to deal with themselves, their states of mind, their own unresolved phobias and fears.

I think society is waking up to the fact of the false and evil nature of all these extreme movements. Black Lives Matter. Where did this come from? Who funds the people? Just Stop Oil. Do these people have any brains? Are they trying to bring us back to the Middle Ages? The Burning of oil and gas and coal releases valuable carbon dioxide into the world which delivers that which is necessary for plants to grow. No carbon dioxide, no life.

As Dr. David Bellamy said ‘carbon dioxide is nature’s fertilizer’. If people don’t realize that what is going now is a concerted effort to destroy society and the human being, there is little that can be said or done. It is no good saying ‘ oh they wouldn’t do that would they’ when they are actually doing it hidden in plain sight, non apologetically, for all to see.

On another level entirely, this video warms my heart.  It is a short news item of a man who has walked every street in Bath. He feels involved in his historical town.  It took him 10 years to complete his task.

I continue to be appalled by what is going on in Palestine. Losing 1seventeen members of your own family at the same instant  must be a seismic shock. The sickening hypocrisy of America is that they could by one telephone call stop the whole Israel aggression. They are after all supplying the munitions and the means to carry on the war. It is obvious that this continuing war is intended for whatever twisted reason or reasons. I do not wish to go into this type of matter in this diary.

How we treat people

‘You only get one chance to make the first impression’

In a way we are never off duty. It’s not the impression we think we give, it’s the impression we actually do convey. The excuses we give ourselves are irrelevant. This is a story from a circular newsletter recently received. The point is, if you act inappropriately, it is not interesting to give excuses to yourself. You either did the right thing or the wrong thing and I found this story below very salutary.

Years ago, a very dear friend, whom I love, came to an event we held as she was interested in working with us and we needed our CEO’s approval.

Canapés were being past around and, to speed up the distribution, our CEO had a plate and was handing them around too. I was talking to my friend and saw our CEO approaching and was about to introduce them both when she waved her hand at him as though to say “go away” and was very dismissive. I was alarmed at the way she treated ‘this person’. I asked her why she was so rude to him and she said “I don’t want any canapés and he was interrupting our conversation”, and I said, “That is such a shame, as that is our CEO”.

She was mortified, not about how she treated the ‘person’ but that she missed him.

I asked our CEO to come back and meet her, and he said “no way, I have seen the way she is with people, and I would never do business with her”.

Responding to broadcast emails – is it worth it?

Anyway, on a brighter note I’ve decided to devote today’s homily on the topic of responding to circular letters. A person of note running an organization will write to members or associates telling them how they are getting on.  How many people will read the document, never mind comment on it, is difficult to determine.  I do know that Mailchimp allows you to see the ‘opens’ but it does not tell you the duration of the reading time  or how seriously they took it.

This message is from the coal face and could apply to many executives and indeed ordinary working people so I would like to expand on this circular letter from this colleague who was given a three-week break by someone who considered that they were in need of it.

The excerpts are from their letter.

Certainly, over the past 25 years, we have never gone a day without checking our emails and keeping in touch with clients.

I do check my email not just once a day but many times. Because there are ongoing projects that I like to be part of and always respond immediately. There is no synaptic delay. I also like to keep in touch with the latest developments and this is particularly apposite when it comes to my cov**id material on my other site. Developments happen by the hour and I want to be on the ball and on top of my game when it times to understanding.

I do not have weekends off as such. I may give myself Sunday morning off but basically my default mode is that when I am awake I am on duty. It is this way because I like it this way.

I have never hidden the fact that our life has had some serious bumps and bruises, (as well as the amazing joys we have had). I never share to gain sympathy, in fact sympathy is a very low energy form of communication.

Amen to that. Anyone can show sympathy but how about talking to the person, getting to know their situation and helping them through it. I had a case last night of a couple whose son had had unfortunate liaison with a woman who was completely neurotic and has accused him of abusing or mistreating the son that they produced together.

She has a very dishonest lawyer who will make up anything to cast the blame on anybody but her and is causing great distress to the couple and the son. In this case, showing sympathy is a complete waste of time. I had about an hour’s chat including talk of their next court appearance, what say, what not to say, and why. I am on their case. I have known them for 20 years Plus, they friends, not let them down

I share for one clear reason, to ensure that no one else feels alone in their roller coaster of life. Being open and real has always been my choice, but I feel it has become more and more essential over the past 15 years since social media has devoured many.

I’m not sure what the writer means by devoured. It is our choice to be sucked in to a system whatever it is and be concerned about what other people, usually uninformed, think about what you have said. Social media is not obligatory. Social media should not form the entire basis for ones social life if so there is something seriously remiss.

Many people cannot help but compare and feel like they are the only person struggling financially, having painful relationships, feeling lonely, or mental health pain such as anxiety or overwhelm.

It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you are the only one and that is why support groups are so important. People fall into mental health difficulties because they are too ashamed to admit their condition or more likely do not know who they can trust. Having been in this situation myself in the past I can well understand the alienation and its effect on every aspect of our lives.

The reality is that we would not be experiencing a human existence if we did not have some major challenges in life. The sad thing is, we don’t always surround ourselves with people that are open and show their true experiences.

This is about getting out there and doing something. Virtual conferences and meetings only go part of the way. Sometimes we have to take a big risk and expose ourselves to the danger of being misunderstood. We may find however that we are understood and although people may not exactly understand what caused our problem they will be willing to listen to us and perhaps talk through certain aspects or what we have said. I think the term above ‘ surrounding us ourselves’ is a bit optimistic. Rather say find two or three people who understand what you are about and are prepared to listen to you.

When seeking help, don’t expect to get it right the first time. I have sought advice from people who were particularly useless and to add salt to the wounds I had to pay them for their time. I did however learn what sort of help to avoid in the future. It is called ‘learning by experience’. There is nothing to say that we have been granted exemption from this rule.

There is within the human psyche the feeling that we should do everything on our own and this is naive. Wisdom lies in knowing when to ask for help when you need it. I believe that we should if at all possible find a supporter who although they may not understand what is going on but will be with you physically when we go through our traumas. If you need to go to the doctor or to the hospital, there is no reason why you shouldn’t take a supporter. The phrase comes to me, ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. This is true not only of society in general but of individuals striving to move forward and find some meaning in life.

In general, and particularly if you know the writer, it is worth taking the time to write back to them telling them what you feel about their work and what was valuable. This is helpful, encouraging and IMO* professionally polite.
* In my opinion