A Grand Unified Theory of Nowt

Yesterday I wrote about the default mind network (dmn), hallucinogenic drugs and mindfulness, amongst other things.

I am not sure how many readers related to all that, it is, I agree, obscure.

For me it was a revelation, not so much because I enjoying discovering new concepts e.g. dmn, it was part of an overall exposition as to what is going on, reflecting the interconnectedness of things, why what happens, happens.

It helps me gain an insight or understanding into the life I and others lead.

It’s like finishing a chapter on the book, ‘Life a User’s Guide’

This is, incidentally, what kept Einstein going for a greater part of his life – the quest to discover a theory of everything; how the pieces fit-together.

I do not wish to suggest that I understand even one per cent of life although for me, unravelling my own and the behaviour of others is fundamental.

When I come to the end of a day and I am not wiser as to the trajectory of my life or the planet, or even my dog’s existence, I am a little let-down.

And this takes me to the subject for today.

It is the government. Or, how BJ came to be PM and the Tories have remained in power for a decade in the UK.

I know I have discussed this before.

It has been bothering me for ages.

I will not go over all the crap that has happened in the past ten years.

Some things have improved (the things that would have improved regardless of who is in power e.g. the speed of my broadband connection) and lots has got worse, predominantly not for me, but for everyone else, whether they are working or studying at a primary or secondary school, whether they work for the public or private sector, whether they have a bad hip or knee and want to get it fixed.

On a slideometer of life, things have got worse for a lot of people. (Or, the numbers who have benefitted from austerity have been small (Yes, you in your Jaguar), the numbers who have lost have been massive).

And yet, we, that is the people appear powerless, or lacking interest or motivation to make a change.

And it’s not just in the UK it is everywhere, although for me, most acutely in our country.

None of it makes sense.

The poor getting poorer and the rich richer.

The phrase, ‘turkeys voting for Christmas’ reverberates in my head like Brownian motes.

I listen to people attacking the Labour Party and wonder what the heck is going on.

I see BJ incompetently flouncing from one crisis or disaster to the next and wonder what is going on.

We really have it all in the UK, or rather, the potential to have it all, yet, we seem to be content to give it away, to allow our talent and resources to dwindle to nothing.

And this is why I found the insight I gained from learning about the dmn so fascinating.

It is what our mind is doing when we are busy making other plans.

It connects my thoughts, and dreams and aspirations with the gremlins of my doubt.

And, to be honest, I find it hard to articulate my feelings about the political climate in the UK.

I find it impossible to imagine what needs to happen for people to insist on change, for our county to sort itself out and work towards a state of fairness and equality.

Covid has led to an unimaginable boom in the private healthcare industry. If you want your hip replaced privately you might have to wait a few weeks because the surgeons are so busy working away for private providers.

Sure, this is not as bad as the year (or two) you will be on an NHS waiting list.

I popped into Tesco yesterday; there was no pasta on the shelves (no petrol in the pump either).

Brexit is hammering a nail into the coffin of our workforce.

Who will look after me when I am an old man? There will not be enough people in the UK to support me. Maybe the robots.

The nightmare of robots feeding me semolina. Robots wiping my ass.

Our workforce is falling to pieces.

I reliably place my disused plastic in the bin for recycling; it is collected every fortnight. I am 90 per cent certain that it is shipped off to another country to be burned or turned into landfill.

Driving around this summer in my car, I looked at my windscreen and marvelled at the lack of splatted insects, we are running of our tiny creatures to support the biosphere.

People are scrambling to buy tickets to fly to Greece for October half-term. The skies will fill with contrails and more CO2 will accumulate.

Eton anointed multi-millionaires will continue to determine my fate, and yours.

Old lady A will move from hospital ward B to C to D then E before leaving hospital to care home A then B then back to hospital then care home C and eventually she will die.

This is what we are doing to our old folk.

Throughout my blogs I always aspire to find a way-out, a solution, the grand-unifying theory.

Yet, for the moment I can’t find one.

All I can do is dig down; take to the mattresses as if the mob is after me; hunker-down and focus on the little bits of my world that bring me joy.

Yes, my family, my dogs. Even my tortoise as he reflects on the summer just past. The shining conkers laying amongst the falling leaves of autumn. That kind of thing.

Go on, surely it’s not all that bad.