Hungry for it?

Now over the years I've seen a lot of films. I've seen the good, the bad and the darn right terrible but when I went to see The Hunger Games I think I saw one of the more disturbing.

It is not a new nor brilliant concept in my opinion. In many ways it is no different from Lord of the Flies, A Clockwork Orange, Death Race or The Running Man. It is well crafted though and challenges a society that has somewhat changed in recent years especially in relation to children.

It is disturbing because I went with my 11 year old son who came out and there was little or no reaction. No reaction either from all the other children that were also watching, well perhaps there was the odd 'she killed them good remark' but that was about it. And I have to ask the question why?

As a psychologist I am aware of dissociation of events however if this is the case here it would seem to be a class dissociation of the whole of the pre-teen generation. Are our children becoming Piggy? or Droogs? Is violence acceptable now or has it always been but it seems more real now?

I think I need more time to reflect upon my observations but I really wanted to start the debate as I am concerned for our future. In our educational system we seek to destroy spontaneity not release it. Our want to control is almost second nature but we are not born wanting to control we develop that urge so does our society drive us towards that control?

To be continued..........................   

Humility

I have been thinking a lot recently about life, and death and all that lies in between. 11 years ago today I was in a maternity suite in Oxford waiting for my son to be born. I knew he was a boy as I'd been reading ultrasound scans for longer than I could remember. I knew he might not live as he'd been turned due to a wrong presentation and there was a serious risk of cord compression. So there I sat, once again in the John Radcliffe, once again in theatre greens, and I waited.

Years before I had been fortunate enough to deliver my first son. A flu crisis had left the local hospital in Trowbridge with one midwife and three deliveries almost simultaneous deliveries. The midwife said to me you know how to deliver a baby don't you? I said I knew the theory but had never actually done it to which came the reply, 'Well tonight my son you get to practice'

Of all the training I have had over the years nothing quite gets you ready for the amazing sight of a head starting to emerge from a mother. It is totally and utterly awesome and I still find pregnant women so powerfully beautiful, probably because of the incredible thing they are doing.

It made me think of how wonderfully blessed we are when we create life. It reminds me constantly of how insignificant yet unique we are and it inspires me to be the very best that I can be.

But more than anything it humbles me


And today with the gluttony and the greed and the selfishness that I see in this I'm alright Jack world that we live in I think it is so good that there are things powerful enough to do this. As I gaze down upon my sleeping son hoping that we will spend many birthdays together I think to myself how lucky and blessed I am.

Happy Birthday my beautiful son, live long, stay healthy, seek wisdom and above all show grace, kindness and humility in your path through life. And remember you are loved infinitely.

Democracy through education, more like thought control

How many have listened to the Pink Floyd song 'Another Brick in the Wall'

We don't need no education , we don't need no thought control'


I am truly mortified that we stand today no further on in our society than Victorian Britain. As we come to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the second longest reigning monarch of all times have we really learnt anything?

And do we have a democracy in our country?


Democracy is a difficult concept. It is without the most difficult concept because to be a true democrat you must fight for the right of another person to express their thought even if you totally disagree with their mantra, even if you would fight to your very death to oppose what is said. And this is difficult. I hate what they are saying but I must defend their right to say it.

No person on this planet, within the human race has the right to say that they are better than any other and no person can take the moral high ground without doing that.

I am quite simple really. I wake up, I wash and put on clothes, I go to work, I come back, I eat and then return to bed to sleep. In among all of that I find time for family, friends and hobbies. That makes me pretty much like any other person on the planet. I breathe air and I have red and bluey-red blood running through my arteries and veins. I urinate and and defecate and wish to procreate. I am a human being and as such am no different to any human being on this planet.

Yet there are those out there in the ether who would see that differently. Now I like a good conspiracy theory like a lot of people. After all we all, I think, kind of would like to know the truth about JFK or little green men in Roswell. Yet there are forces out there that believe we are not grown up enough to handle the truth. That mass chaos would ensue if we changed the system!

But would it?

Maslow described the idea that there are stages of growth starting with basic needs of food and shelter rising to a concept called 'self-actualisation'. And for those of you who are not psychologists that can be a pretty abstract concept yet ultimately it is what the human race aspires to.

If we all reach the idea of self-actualisation then rather than chaos descending I believe harmony would flow. 


But the system would have you believe otherwise. And that is why schooling was introduced. Whilst I agree in many of the thoughts of Sir Ken Robinson one thing that I haven't actually heard him say yet, although forgive me if I am wrong, is that education is actually about control of the masses for the benefit of the few for political ends. Orwell's 1984 vision is nearer to the truth I suspect than many understand. We dress it up in elections and standards and Human Rights but in reality the few that have risen through the system will ultimately keep the system in place because it put them where they are and they know the game better than others.

So should we crash the system? Well no I do not advocate anarchy in any way whatsoever but I do believe that we have to start thinking in a different way if our grandchildren are to have a life in pastures green. De Bono is fundamentally right when he talks about thinking outside the box. It's something I encourage my students to do and it's something enshrined in my personal life. I do not want to leave this planet having not reached self-actualisation. I want to feel that I have inspired a want for growth. I want my children to understand the power of the love that they have inside of them. I want them to understand that by sharing and collaborating all good things will come to all good people.

So do not become another brick in the wall, passion is the difference between mediocrity and greatness. Use you passion in a thoughtful way, help your neighbour and you shall help yourself.


Peace and Happiness