Yesterday morning, another walker coming back down the path told me about a thrush that was singing its heart out on a tree further ahead. “Carefree”, she said. And I have to admit, a singing thrush was enough to cheer up even a gloomy old so-and-so like Thomas Hardy. Well – actually he remained miserable in an evidence-based kind of way, but did acknowledge the existence of cheerfulness. I think what gives this apparently pessimistic poem the power to remind us of joy is its similarity to the carol, “It came upon a midnight clear” (more detail available on request). It sort of contradicts it and underlines it at the same time.
Yesterday also, we did a circular walk from a 237 bus stop to Hartshead Pike. It was unexpectedly good, with a pleasant stop at a pub for food along the way.
There was a layer of cloud over us and covering the moors to the east. But we could see it was sunny across in Cheshire.
Today is a gloomy day too: a moment in our history of transition to a third-rate nation. Safety, health, the wellbeing of our planet are all under threat in the name of freedom. I’ve lost. I accept that. I’m going to get on with life just like everyone else. But don’t ask me to celebrate.
There is also some blessed hope of which I am currently unaware. After all, Jesus is still alive: he’s still making a difference in people’s lives. After all, there are still people all around the world praying for God’s kingdom to come.
And there is good news in today’s events, too;- If the pound has lost value, it helps us to sell stuff. If house prices have taken a dip, it helps people to buy houses. If we can reduce duty-free allowances, it helps the exchequer and our health (it won’t happen though). And chlorinated chicken won’t actually taste of chlorine. (That last one was probably a bit of a scare story anyway).