There are certain times of the year which lend
themselves to optimism and spring for me is one of them. The nights are light
and while we may not be basking in sunshine the potential is there. Don’t get
me wrong, by the time September comes around I’ll be gazing longingly towards
autumn but, for now, it feels like we’ve got it all to play for.
My excitement is heightened even further by the
up-coming general election, although I feel hopeful and terrified in equal
measures. I genuinely believe that this could be our last chance to create a fairer
society. I have no control over the future however and am preparing myself for
a major disappointment.
On the whole I’m quite a positive person who likes
to think well of my fellow humans but whenever there’s a general election I
often feel completely alienated from what seems to be the mood of the nation. I
recognise that a lot of this is down to media manipulation and the Tory bias
means that there’s a focus on people whose views are at odds with my own. This
time around however there seems to be a generational split like never before.
Apparently I belong to the Generation X, preceded by
the Baby Boomers and in turn preceding the Millennium Generation. This is all
news to me but the divide between these generations is becoming all too real.
The media at the moment is giving the greatest voice to the so-called Baby
Boomers, probably because this is where much of Theresa May’s support lies. If
I hear one more silver haired pensioner talking about ‘girl power’ I swear I’ll
put the television screen through.
The fact is the Baby Boomers like to claim that
they have worked hard and deserve their long retirements and pensions and I
agree with them but why can’t they afford the people coming up behind them the
same opportunities. After all they are not the only people who have worked
hard, young people are staring down the barrel of working until they’re 70,
never being able to afford their own homes no matter how hard they work and
paying off student loans well into middle-age. Let’s not forget that those of
us who studied pre-1990 not only got our education for free but received
maintenance grants as well.
What to do then if the Tories get the landslide
win that the media is predicting? Short of emigrating or throwing myself into
the nearest river I’m going to need a strategy to get me past the realisation
that I’m living in a country surrounded by people that I don’t understand. I
once read somewhere that the best way to achieve something is to behave as if
you already have it so I’m going to have to behave as if I’m living in a
society where community matters and people care about each other, even if the
evidence suggests otherwise.
I believe passionately in education as the
antidote to poverty and, as we edge ever closer to the return of educating only
those who can afford it, I think those of us who benefitted from an education
owe a debt to all young people. I’m fortunate enough to work with both children
and adults who are striving to learn and hopefully realise their ambitions. Not
everyone succeeds the first time around and I don’t want to be part of a system
that closes the door on people after just one chance. It’s becoming harder and
harder for adult learners who want to return to education because of cuts in
funding and that’s where the voluntary sector comes in. If we don’t like what’s
happening within education we can always volunteer our time to counteract the
attacks on life-long inclusive learning.
Likewise with poverty, which is surely the most
corrosive problem a society can have. Food banks have become a lifeline for
record numbers of people and Sheffield can’t be the only city that seems to
have returned to the levels of homelessness last seen in the 80s. We should all
be ashamed of the fact that 30% of our children are now classed as living in
poverty and 254,000 people were registered as homeless in England in 2016. Rather than ranting about the unfairness of it
all maybe it’s time that those of us who do feel shame at the way our country is
shaping up became proactive. Food banks are crying out for donations and
volunteers as are homeless charities. There is a way of countering everything
that we feel angry or upset about, it just requires that we put ourselves out
and consider other people’s needs. This is the kind of society I want to live
in, where kindness is valued more than affluence or status.
Taking my cue then from all the new beginnings that
abound in spring, instead of worrying about the things I can’t control, I’m
going to surround myself with people who I admire. People who value everyone
regardless of their situation and understand that lending someone a helping
hand benefits everyone in the long run.
