While the world holds its breath
...on the outcome of the US election, everyday life continues. I've just started 6 days of leave (10 days in a row including weekends), sorely needed after an intense period at work. It will coincide with Wales coming out of a period of national lockdown. It'll be an odd one, the first time since the start of the pandemic that Wales will have less stringent rules than England. I'm most looking forward to resuming our social bubble – while all these virtual tools have been great, I do like seeing people in more than 2 dimensions!
Speaking of virtual tools, I will theoretically be able to swap/complement virtual pubs for real ones. Pubs have been an important part of my life for over two decades but I'm still not sure about returning to them though, having become a little uneasy about indoor spaces populated by strangers. One of my brothers and his partner run a Wetherspoons in Central London and have a different perception of risk to me, which makes sense. I'm less worried about serious health complications from COVID-19 than I am about looking after a four-month old while having it.
Back to the US election. The US still weighs heavy in the world and what happens to it matters. I have my personal views on the candidates from my place outside the country but looking beyond Trump himself (difficult though he sometimes makes it), the polarisation of the US worries me. It needs a new generation of inspirational and aspirational leaders who can look beyond their red-vs-blue limited perspectives to unite and heal a fractured nation rather than sow the seeds of division for their own benefit. This polarisation is not unique to the US. My own country has it – just look at Brexit. Ironically, I was living in the US when that happened...
I will continue to do my own little bit to support a world where facts (NOT “alternative facts”) and evidence matter in decision-making. That's not to say that “gut-feelings” aren't their own kind of evidence. They can signal when people aren't being listened to, when value systems are becoming miss-aligned... but we need to dig deeper when something doesn't feel right and discover why, envision a world of possibilities rather than a world of fear.
Entry 39 of my participation in the “100 Days to Offload” challenge – find out more and join in!
2020-11-06 #100DaysToOffload #lockdown #politics #pubs
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