A Potpourri of Thoughts and Comments on this, the first day of May!






I woke this morning, conscious that this was the first day of May. Not only that it was May Day, but also as I awakened further I remembered from my childhood that if you spoke certain words on the first day of the month, before you said anything else - you would be favoured with pleasant days and good fortune all during the month.

Unfortunately I couldn't remember what the words were! My sister enlightened me (she is younger than I am, and hasn't had quite as much time to forget....) The words are WHITE RABBIT WHITE RABBIT. I caution you all to remember these words, and this practice, - we need all the pleasant days and good luck that we can accumulate in this frosty old world, by fair means or foul....

We went on to discuss another tradition from our childhood. We lived kitty corner from the Rectory when we were growing up, and the Rector and the Rector's wife were close friends. The Rector's wife informed us that if we were fortunate enough to catch the Rector asleep, and then to give him a small kiss on the cheek, he would be obliged to give the kisser a pair of gloves! No doubt this tradition has an English background, but my research hasn't revealed anything, so we just cherish this as one of the sweet remembrances of our childhood.



By the time I got to the breakfast table, and had caught a glimpse of the newspaper, and George Jonas's comments on the ridiculous aspects of present day politics, my musings had turned to what, in my simple mind, would be the Ideal Democracy.

In such a Democracy there would be two parties. The one, who through good ideas, honesty and trust-worthiness had won the most votes from the citizenry (who, I hasten to add, all voted) would be the governing party who would devise the minimum number of laws and regulations required to keep the country in good order.

The other party would exist to contribute constructive criticism, and harmony would prevail. Also politeness, consideration. honour and regard for each other.

After a decent interval the Parties would once again go to the polls, and if the constructive criticism seemed more reasonable than the laws and regulations of the governing party, then a contemplative and well informed citizenry might cast their ballots in favour of the parties changing sides.

One goes to the end with the sun in their faces. The other goes to the end with the wind at their backs. And the process of civilized governance begins again.

However, all this is innocent speculation, - perhaps even fatuous naivete. It appears to the discerning voter that Democracy has degenerated into the lust for power, - a race for the biggest piece of the cake, the biggest sphere of influence and that cooperation has given way to the desire for one side to hypocritically embarrass the other. It seems that even the most sensible of ruling parties can be drawn into a vortex of inane concepts, launched on a sea of silliness and maintained by what appears to be a pack of howling baboons, if one listens to Question Period from the House of Commons. Nothing more guaranteed to disillusion a voter with any sensibilities. The saddest thing of all is the lack of discerning voters!!!!

Luckily I had to go and prepare the porridge for breakfast, so these thoughts were replaced by mundane affairs of the kitchen.

Later in the morning we left to travel to a nearby town to go for lunch with a dear friend who is approaching his 100th birthday. Although I consider myself "aged" - and Husband is "aged" too, - neither of us is as aged, or has taken as good care of his health, as our good friend has. Nevertheless time is taking its toll and as we see him gradually fail we resolve to see him more often, and try to assuage some of the loneliness that comes to people who have lost most of their peers.