Visions, dreams and reality!

My column in the Herald Express 24th December 2013

Visions, dreams and reality! Headlines these days too often tell of the dreams and visions publicised by our political leaders offering the promise of a better future. It’s worth thinking about that as we let 2013 slip into history and look forward, hopefully with excitement, to 2014.

Keeping with the theme of dreams and visions it is also worth remembering the prophets throughout history who attempted to foretell or foresee the future. Many carried a mystical message from God whilst others simply looked at the world around them and said all this will end badly boys and girls if you don’t mend you ways!

Thinking about the historical prophets foretelling the future I was once told by a wise abbot (or at least I thought him wise) that I seemed to be a something of a modern day prophet. For a brief moment I thought that sounded quite nice but then he reminded me that things tended to end badly for prophets! A little bit of research confirmed the shocking truth that the community didn’t always want to hear the message and the easiest way of dealing with that was by lopping off the head of the prophet. Hmm.

I guess what I am saying is that whilst the dreams and visions can be fascinating we must not lose sight of the here and now.  That simple act is not quite as simple as it may seem. In these days of constant media input with twenty-four hour news and the casual spinning of truth things often are not quite as they seem. Not only that but there is a tendency to take for granted the antics of folk who continue to take more than their fair share. You will not have to stretch your intellect too far to find numerous examples where the gatekeepers of power seem to benefit disproportionately.

It is important for all of us to take note when the rhetoric of dreams and visions blows warm. That warming wind can mask the true nature of what is likely to happen or perhaps more worryingly might never happen. Does the dream work for the greater good or is it simply a money making event for the few. It is a duty for all to take notice and call to account. Not that I have anything against dreams and visions but I do worry about scary nightmares!

In a previous column I mentioned the Mayor’s Budget meeting at the Riviera Centre and the little questionnaire doing the rounds during the evening. I also said that there would be another chance to attend a similar meeting during January 2014. At the time the meeting was to be in a room at Paignton Library but that has now been changed to Thursday 9 January at the Redcliffe Hotel  (7-9pm). The Redcliffe Hotel is on Paignton’s lovely seafront. The sea actually washes against the wall of this atmospheric hotel. How nice is that!

If you can find the time it really is worth attending this meeting and making your feelings known. At the very least you might get a better understanding of reality. Having said that many of us have already become very aware of the economic here and now as the austerity cuts slice through so many things that we had taken for granted.

When you read this Christmas will have come and gone. Hopefully for you it was a joyous occasion and perhaps captured something of the simplicity of a traditional Christmas. I have always loved Christmas Day, starting with the first church service of the day, heading home for breakfast and presents before gathering for a traditional lunch.

This weekend is New Year’s Eve with a ring of endless fireworks around the world. A time for New Year resolutions which hopefully will contain a little more than simply wearing a tracksuit and staggering to the gym!  One resolution that we might all share is to make an effort to make this curious world of ours a better place. To do that we really must help each other and keep a careful eye out for those who might slip between the cracks as the austerity screw turns ever tighter. This is your time and your community.

But whatever you do for the new year please start with a smile!

Keep the smile.