That cool
air this morning tells me summer has gone- almost before it has begun- here in
Scotland. It's been a busy one for me. We have celebrated weddings, birthdays
and there was the not so small issue of standing for selection as a
constituency MSP. I wasn't selected so it was hard not to feel a sense of
deflation in the exhaustion that a campaign leaves you with. So many talented
people want to represent their people and I always knew it would be hard. But
I'm glad I tried. I learned about what people care about and are awake to, I
found I enjoyed the challenge of the hustings and meeting people across
Edinburgh. It's a great way to reaffirm what matters to you and not
surprisingly for me it's especially around what makes us well not just as
individuals but in organisations and as a nation too. And those are the things
I know I will focus on in my work. But one of the questions that remains for me
is how I integrate my political knowledge and passions with my work. All things
are connected after all and I'm a gestalt practitioner....gestalt means that
together we are more than a sum of all our parts.
Last week
I had a break with the family in Austria, it was a fabulous break full of
beauty and laughter and the Sound of Music too!
It was timely and therapeutic
and full of family memories. But as this week has unfolded the refugee crisis
has deepened in Europe and I couldn't help compare their plight to my own
situation. As we sung and laughed and toasted each other, they struggled across
seas, across unwelcoming borders, they walked up autobahns, they tried so hard
to give their families a different life. The lifeless body of the three year
old Alan has symbolised the desperation and danger of their plight. I know I'm
not alone in having a sleepless night after seeing that little boy dead and
abandoned; a sense of guilt, distress and powerlessness the cause....but anger
too. I'm pleased our own First Minister has shown compassion and leadership but
the British government has been slow to respond all summer.
Again social media
has played it's part with the refugees welcome hashtags and banners. Like many
I have signed petitions, donated to local and international response charities
and I'm looking out warm clothes to send over too but it doesn't feel enough.
The Germans and Austrians especially are reminding us what a human response
looks like, it's uplifting to see the many examples of their kindnesses. May we
all learn from that. This article highlights how we can collectively tackle
this crisis and reminds us importantly of the part the British government and
others have played in creating it too.
As we
approach the anniversary of the referendum this month, the memories flood back
and that sense of loss of hope for a different Scotland can be overwhelming.
Although my own political career since then may have been short-lived I know
there are still ways to make a difference. The crisis in Europe reminds us that
staying active politically is also about holding governments to account, to
ensure their actions engage both head and heart. Social media has changed our
lives in many ways but it has also changed politics. We can collectively make
our voices heard and help to shift public opinion; speaking the truth to power.
So I plan
to stay active; to stay engaged, to blog, to let my values shape my choices in
life and in work. I leave you with this quote and the knowledge that we can
turn our powerlessness into action..
"Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret
Mead
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