I am back online and happy.
I watched some of the Great British Sewing Bee. I would love to get into sewing and I considered the possibility of me trying again. I could look for an earth mother type long, loose skirt with lots of gathers to hide the bulges. I had a furtle on eBay (my friend).
What I found was that I could get a sort of boho type skirt in my size for under £15, including all postage and it looked really nice. I could buy a pattern for a skirt, and the ones I liked were all £9 or over without postage, and then I would have to pay for fabric, notions etc and do all the work when I should be doing a load of other stuff. To be honest, my shape is so peculiar (and large) that I don't think it's worth me trying to sew for me. I mean, I can get a perfectly adequate tube type stretchy skirt, floor length, in the colour of my choice for under £7 including postage. I don't wear skirts anyway. Bear has utterly rejected any attempt for me to sew for him and so I suppose I should just settle down with patchwork and bags. Sigh.
I was watching the news. An MP from near here has been murdered. It's not my MP, but it is on the local news and I could get a bus there in half an hour. Jo Cox was doing her best to serve her community, listening to her constituents and making democracy work. It puts my witterings about sewing patterns in perspective.
Those of us in the fortunate West often think of democracy as safe, and a right, and a given. Threats to democracy are 'out there' in other countries. If there is a threat to a democracy here, in our safe corners, then it must have come from 'outside'. In this case, it didn't. It was someone local, someone who had lived in democracy all his life.
Democracy is fragile. It is at risk even in England, which is supposed to be safe. It is in danger from low turn outs at elections. It is in danger from lack of education and reasoned debate. It is in danger from people reacting before thinking and shutting down. It is in danger when people react to bad times by blaming outsiders and 'the other' and retreating to tribal thinking.
This isn't about the referendum to decide whether or not the UK stays in the EU. This is about people no longer believing in passionate debate and instead reacting with violence. In the sad death of Jo Cox, someone who cared passionately about others and did her best to reach out and help is lost to someone who would rather use violence.
I'm glad you are back on-line. With or without a home-sewn skirt. :) Although skirts are fairly easy and you have that sari fabric you bought earlier; it might make an adequate practice skirt, if nothing else.
ReplyDeleteAs for democracy, sigh, yes, it is a fragile thing that too many of us take for granted. It was hard-won and should be cherished. But we forget that, or don't care, or can't be bothered. Violence is never the answer, but it is so hard to argue with it.