Rapidly approaching the big NINE O, along with many others at the same stage of life’s interesting and sometimes troubled journey, I should be relaxing contentedly with friends and relations, enjoying the mind boggling range of new sights and sounds and knowledge not previously encountered, reliving with them the many wonderful experiences of past years, rejoicing in the journey to maturity of children and grandchildren who have grown up so rapidly, having left behind the childhood years seemingly in the blink of an eye … and yet …

We oldies, many more of us now as advances in medicine ensure this, have lived through a century of huge destructive wars, incredible advances in technology which have resulted in thousands of new products, some awesome, others frightening. We exist in a continual state of uncertainty about the future, being continually bombarded on all sides with news bulletins from media seemingly hell bent on stirring up a state of fear rather than simply giving us the news. We are seemingly being dragged down in an unstoppable quicksand of confusion and doubt and concern for the future.

But this is not living! Our parents and grandparents had similar massive problems to face, and they didn’t just curl up in a corner and give up! They fought back, and insisted on enjoying life, bringing up the kids, mixing with friends.

Part way through writing this I saw the excellent contribution by Shaydee Lane, The Beauty of Life, and it was just the tonic needed.

The opening sentences, “Yesterday, I saw a photo of a little red wren and I smiled. That pretty, delicate little creature was hopping about doing what it does best and it seemed blissfully unaware of what the world seems to think is confronting. It was so nice to smile again,” really hit the spot. To preserve our collective sanity, what is left of it, we must shake off the shackles of doubt and uncertainty and fear, believe in ourselves and press onward and enjoy all that life offers.

 Vaccines are such a worry for many these days. Concerns over side effects and unknown consequences. Promises of freedom and better times to come.

Have we become stupefied? 

The ability to accomplish this will depend largely on the decisions made and actions taken by the politicians in the states, who often disagree with each other and with Federal Government on many matters such as masks and lockdowns and whether or not vaccines should be mandatory. These are all matters which are the subject of violent disagreement, vigorously argued, and look unlikely to be settled cordially.

Bridget, Redhead’s Jack Russell, caring Scooter, disreputable Digger and bossy Meggsie and Tabatha all have the right idea … they have arrived at that most desirable of all states, that of achieving complete satisfaction with their station in life which allows them, with full bellies and adequately rested, to luxuriate in all that this world offers in the relatively short span allocated.

Canadian political commentator Mark Steyn sums it up well .. with Harold.

 Perhaps we should be like Jubilation T Cornpone, that great American fighting General from Lil Abner who didn’t know the meaning of the word “fear” … “terror” yes, but “fear” NEVER!! … and just get on with living !

• Jubilation T. Cornpone: Dogpatch's founder and most famous son, memorialized by a town statue, is Confederate General Jubilation T. Cornpone — renowned for "Cornpone's Retreat", "Cornpone's Disaster", "Cornpone's Stupidity", "Cornpone's Misjudgment", "Cornpone's Hoolmiliation" and "Cornpone's Final Mistake". Cornpone was such a disastrously incompetent military leader that he came to be considered an important asset of the opposing side. According to the stage play, the statue was commissioned by a grateful President Abraham Lincoln! Cornpone's only victories were posthumous — in one storyline, the General's statue is filled with Kickapoo Joy juice, which brings it to "life." It then goes on a rampage, beheading all the statues of Union Army generals. As the U.S. Army can't destroy it — since it's a National Monument — Kickapoo Joy Juice is poured into a Union statue which results in both statues charging one another. When the smoke clears, the animated statues have annihilated each other. At Mammy Yokum's urging the statue pieces are put back together with glue. The hapless general is really best known for being the namesake of the rousing musical number (a "showstopper") in the popular Li'l Abner musical, as sung by Marryin' Sam and chorus.