Thoughts Woolly and Wild

Old habits die hard! Here I am at the end of a second week, with bits and pieces of writing, but none coherent enough for publishing.

My brain is full and swirls every which way with thoughts as diverse as the world I live in. There is so much I want to say, but where to start, how to verbalise my thoughts, what should come first, and what will readers be interested in? You’ve got it – the mind of an out-of-control ADD persona grappling with the need to be productive.

I want to write about my trip to Kruger in September, my 70^th birthday bash, the new year and all that it holds and promises, and the conflicts that rage on, especially Israel against Hamas.

I was taken aback when my son told me he did not want to discuss this conflict with me because he diametrically opposed my viewpoint. Fair enough, he is entitled to his opinion. The uneasy question I have that concerns me is that conflict so divisive that we cannot even discuss it? Does he believe somehow it could impact our relationship so severely that we have to avoid the topic?

That is the toxicity of the war being waged, a total divide resulting in a tsunami of strife that has rippled throughout the world. Goodness me!

We have both stopped watching news channels in the main, as each one is biased in their opinion to some degree or other. I like to follow a number of journalists, some of whose opinions and reporting I like, and some not so much, but I find the members of my former profession when reporting for themselves and not an agency, have much that is sensible to say. They are experienced in the issues on which they are expounding and have an innate understanding of the more subtle nuances at play.

I found myself glued to the proceedings at the International Court of Justice as South Africa unravelled its case against Israel. The team did well. I don’t agree with them, but praise must be given where it is due, and they were impressive. I am equally looking forward to hearing Israel’s response.

It did my heart good this morning to hear a measured and honest conversation between Jordan Peterson and Piers Morgan on the morality of the conflict, to look again at its nascence, and what, rationally, could be a lasting solution.

At the same time a conversation with friends from Eswatini, left me feeling drained. I am currently housesitting on an estate that has game and as I walked through to the kitchen, a zebra was looking in through the window – his expression exactly matched my feelings!

In acknowledgment of that, my natural ebullience returned, and I thought, what a great world we live in, and what a fascinating time to be alive.

Tales far-ranging, wild, and hopefully not too woolly will follow!