A Christmas message

14th December

The militias are only 300 metres away. “It’s the last days” said the teacher from Aleppo on the news last night, in a homemade video message.

“I hope you can do something, for Aleppo people, for my daughter, for the other children”

He doesn’t believe in the United Nations or the International community anymore- And who could blame him?

“They were celebrating on our bodies. It’s okay- this is life,” he says, choking back tears. “But at least we know that..;” he pauses again, drawing a long breath, then blinking back tears with a heavy sigh.”We were free people. We wanted freedom. We didn’t want anything else but freedom.”

And finally he said, “I hope you can remember us… I don’t know…thank you very much.”

I thought of our expectations of life, back here in England. Well we’re a bit worried about the economy for starters- our standard of living. Wages not growing as fast as they might. “Mine haven’t grown for ten years,” I whined recently, to no one in particular. And the size of Toblerone chocolate bars; don’t forget that- apparently some people are outraged.

It struck me that we live out our lives in a bubble. In fact, my mate Michael said it. We went out for a meal at the weekend with our friends- lucky us!
We all live out our lives in a kind of a bubble, insulating ourselves from all the other bubbles. When we speak to someone, or do something for someone else, we merge our bubble with theirs. We share something in common.
“And then that bubble, joins another bubble, and it gets bigger and bigger until you have one MASSIVE bubble,” said Michael – mind you, he was tight as an owl at that point. Strong stuff that Erdinger beer.
But Michael’s bubble theory got me thinking.

Whenever something bad happens in sleepy old Devon, the news reporters go into some sort of feeding frenzy. They get out their most serious face and always trot out the same stock phrase; “This is a tight-knit community….and it has brought everyone together.”
Tragedy is tragedy, wherever it strikes, but I’ve never felt like much of a community. In fact the word is used even more than ‘the economy.’
Most of our neighbours, come and go without knowing each other exist -so to be honest, I don’t feel like we’re much of a community at all. Just everyone going around in their own little bubble.

This Christmas, why don’t we try and make those connections. Whether it is popping in to see your elderly neighbour, to ask if they need anything, or whole Nations; international communities if you like- coming together to make one big, giant, enormous, fantastic bubble- of peace, joy and love.

So will we turn our faces away again and pretend it’s not happening? Or will we unite to actually do something- anything, big or small to help.

I’m a life long supporter and sufferer of West Ham United football club. We won the World Cup in ’66 you know. The year I was born.
Our club song is ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles.’
It says;

“fortune’s always hiding,
I’ve looked everywhere,
I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air”

Please note: sing this at the top of your voice- oh and –

Happy Christmas everyone! ?