Can I have two?

If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?

Dear God!

I’d like to give them up because they come to mind when I’m looking at the levels of violence, cruelty, and indifference in this world.

Humanity presents as a cess pit, even though there are many more decent, kind, caring human beings on this planet

If you’re on social media and watch the news you don’t need me to tell you that.

People speak shockingly, behaving appallingly, lie, cheat, steal, casually create a war that could tear this world apart and kill billions of innocents. They decimate a population of children, and innocent adults, and flatten entire cities, because…actually just why?

I have nothing but horror and compassion for the October attack on the music event in Israel, for the poor souls taken hostage, and their families and friends. That’s where it stops.

Hundreds and thousands have paid for this with their lives, in life changing injuries, in years of grief, many of them children. In lack of the basic necessities: shelter; food; water; warmth.

Two world leaders in particular will go down in history as the worst that humanity has to offer, alongside Hitler and Stalin.

But it’s on our streets too. We now know that the vileness has permeated every level of our societies.

In recent news in the UK a surprisingly elderly man has been charged with drugging his slightly younger wife, letting people rape her, and videos were put up on social media. He did wash her down so she wouldn’t know though. That’s one aspect of an appalling iceberg. As you probably all know, the world over.

The Grenfell Tower inquiry has led to what we all knew, that companies placed profit over lives, that councils are so inept they haven’t enforced orders to remove dangerous cladding from other tower blocks. They should be shot and then put in prison. I don’t believe in violence by the way but I’m that angry.

I could go on but I will depress us all. I’m sure many of you know this story, you’re writers, you’re awake, not a lot goes past you.

How many of us write just to make a difference? Novelists are my greatest escape. Poets light me up inside. Playwrights create a world I can disappear into, as do movie writers. I choose that world wisely. In the thrillers I love the bad guy or gal always gets their comeuppance. They’re stopped by the good guys or gals. Ditto films.

How do we good guys and gals change this world so that my two words become:

“Dear God, thank you for today. Thank you for keeping the innocents safe, helping our countries and communities thrive, and the world to be a safe place for all. Thank you for reaching into the hearts of the violent and showing them the error of their ways. Thank you for teaching us to treat animals with equal respect. Thank you for the scientists who replaced meat with something far more tasty and nutritious, so that the only things we take from animals cause them no harm. I loved going through the woods today to find the hen’s eggs. I’m grateful for them. Thank you that world leaders now have a sense of responsibility not power. Thank you for blowing up the internet (they still haven’t worked out how that happened so it must have been you). The new Internet is much more local and they genuinely put a stop to trolls. Tracing their IP address then arresting them and sending them for retraining in a boot camp that makes the former SAS training look like a day in kindergarten. Repeating every vile insult to them over and over again until they can’t bear it was an awesome idea! Straightened them out in no time. Thank you that our military are now the people’s army, standing ready in times of natural disaster, and helping where needed at other times. That temporary bridge they built over the Thames when the old one crumbled to dust really solved a lot of travel issues. Just thank you for so much more happiness, real connection, and sense of shared humanity the world over. It’s a privilege to give to and receive help from so many races now. Animals are safe. Pets are neutered and cared for. Dogs aren’t bred for money or fighting. Children are safe It’s just magical.

Amen

P.S. Is it true that people used to be attacked for their skin colour, race, and gender? I just can’t get my head around that. It is?! 😱😱😱😱😱😱”

All I ask is – Dear God please help us to make this world a better place so that those two words only ever precede ‘thank you’.

Keep writing! I haven’t seen one nasty blogger among you, so far I’ve been blessed by the bloggers I’ve connected with. You’re more important to this world than you will ever know.

Have a wonderful day

Deb xx