DIY

Now don't go away!

I've been DIYing today and there is something therapeutic about it - it takes ones mind off things that are shit but I'm sure they happen to everybody. I've been putting up shelves whilst watching/listening to the test match and enjoyed it.
Tomorrow, well today actually, I'm going to glue some mirrors to some doors (hopefully) and, probably, blow my f**king head off whilst trying to put up and connect a ceiling fan/light fitting, so this might be my last blog - someones gotta do it.
Just seen the leader of English Defence League (EDL) on Newsnight - if, and it's a big if I grant you, he is representative of mainstream thought (AKA bigotry) in this country, or even wider afield, then we are all in it up to our necks. Multi-culturalism is a fact of life and one that enriches us all - end of! Gordon Brown was right, that woman WAS a bigot, and sadly it seems, there are quite a few.
I met a married couple recently at my daughters wedding in Felixstowe (a great and proud occasion for me, but more of that another time) whilst queuing for the buffet. They couldn't wait to tell me (why, I have no idea, but it was worrying to me that maybe I looked like a racist sympathiser - does anyone know what 'they' look like?) how everything wrong with this country was down to immigrants - this happened within seconds of our first words together - amazing. However, I told them they were wrong and immigrants to this country enriched us, and as far as I was concerned, they were all welcome, because we have lots of room still, and loads of money. Needless to say, they were shocked by my response, and before they could retort I told them that they should stay in the south because their sort wouldn't be welcome in the enlightened north. That did the trick, they shut the f**k up with an embarrassed look on their faces. They clearly were deluded enough to think that everyone, including perfect strangers, thought the way they did - racist arrogance or what?

The point is that, whenever we are faced with racism of any sort (and for that matter, sexism, ageism, or any other bloody 'ism' - oh and homophobia too) we should try to challenge it the best we can - and I know that's not easy because confrontation is not nice - and as we all know it's nice to be nice!! But please do your best.