Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 12
February 22, 2024
At the Grassroots Level.
View all responses“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”
― Andy Warhol Artist
There are two things I really can’t stand. People who moan and complain. Yes, you are right, isn’t what I’m writing here a moaning complaint. Yes, you are right, but a question has been asked. I agree people do have a right to complain if things are beyond one’s control. Yes, we all have the right to moan and grumble if something is unfair or unjust.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." data-large-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." src="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." alt="" class="wp-image-1357" style="width:337px;height:auto" />Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.comI can only talk about what’s happening in Britain. I remember hearing the term The Nanny State being used in my early teens. The term was being used a lot on the news, and it meant the British government was interfering too much in people’s lives. As though people couldn’t make decisions for themselves about what they needed to do to make their lives better.
Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term likens such a government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. An early use of the term comes from Conservative British Member of Parliament Iain Macleod who referred to “what I like to call the nanny state” in the 3 December 1965 edition of The Spectator. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia)
In this modern society of ours, I feel people are relying too much on our government to provide for them. At some point in time, the British stopped standing on their own feet and started hanging on to their Nanny’s apron strings. Too often on the news, I hear the phrase, ‘The government should help us.’ It is as though the government is some sort of magical being with a magic wand that can fix all the problems in this country. A rich man in his castle, holding out on everyone.
I agree politicians don’t seem to have the powers to fix anything these days. No one party in Britain for years has solved any of the problems which have been spiralling out of control. From the state of our roads, to lack of good teachers, doctors, the NHS, homelessness, etc. Britain has huge unemployment problems as we lose our big industries and many of the shops on the high street disappear. We have huge influx of illegal people all expecting housing, and health care; the list is endless.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." data-large-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." src="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." alt="" class="wp-image-1359" style="width:318px;height:auto" />Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.comYes, you can say people have a right to complain and moan.
But, what about the grassroot movement?
Grassroots, type of movement or campaign that attempts to mobilise individuals to take some action to influence an outcome, often of a political nature. (Britannica)
During the Second World War, communities came together to help one another because they found themselves in the same situation. Somehow over the years since the end of the war, people have forgotten how to help themselves and be part of a community. They forget the money the government has comes from every taxpayer in Britain. With more British people being unemployed and sitting on benefits, and an increase of illegal people coming in expecting help, the balance between what the government receive in taxes, and what they have to spend leaves them with a shortfall. Many of the county councils are finding they can’t help local people because there are too many demands made on them.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." data-large-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." src="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." alt="" class="wp-image-1355" style="width:281px;height:auto" />Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.comI agree the government party in power should spend the money wisely, and if they did then maybe Britain wouldn’t be in such an awful mess. Shouting at the government to help individuals doesn’t really help, as seen by recent protests in London and other cities around Britain. But, if more Grassroots movements got together to make changes for themselves, maybe the government would step forward and help them financially.
Don’t get cross, get physical in your community.
So if something makes you angry instead of shouting about it, and boring the pants off everyone. Do something to bring about change by physically helping at the grassroots level to make life much better in your community. People are then more willing to listen and help.
Thank you for dropping by and reading my post.
February 21, 2024
Water, Water Everywhere.
View all responses“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.”
— W. H. Auden
Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink; water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, tells us we can be surrounded by water. Still, none of it will be suitable to drink. Fresh drinking water is easily taken for granted when it is freely available, but when it isn’t, we quickly realise how much we have depended on it being there for us. In Britain, in recent years we have had shortages in some areas due mainly to burst pipes or flooding when households have needed standpipes or bottled water brought to them.
In our modern world, our water is our most precious resource. Nothing on this planet can survive without it. Water is one of the main ingredients in all foodstuffs we buy. Water is used in preparing the food and as an ingredient. Even in non-food stuff, it is used as an ingredient from shampoo to hand gel from makeup to cat food etc. All liquid drinks use water as the main ingredient. Just check the labels. We need water to stay fit and healthy in so many ways.
Our precious supply of water is the great gift mother nature gives us. Like everything else water is made of atoms. An atom is the smallest particle of an element, like oxygen or hydrogen. Atoms join together to form molecules. A water molecule has three atoms: two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. That’s why water is sometimes referred to as H2O. A single drop of water contains billions of water molecules.
Here in Britain, the weather has been nonstop rain for the last three months. This has caused widespread flooding in some areas as the ground has been unable to absorb it. Being English myself, I have a love of moaning about our weather yet I know how precious rain is to this green and pleasant land of ours. One of the things I love about our British weather is the wonderful cloud formations you can see. Clouds are made up of water, so when it rains it delivers us with a fresh supply. For many years now, the ground around my village has appear dry and cracked as we have had many dry winters. Hopefully, with all this rain the countryside will stay greener for longer.
When water is a gas you can’t see it. If you boil water, the water changes from a liquid to a gas or water vapor. As some of the water vapor cools it becomes a small cloud called steam. This cloud of steam is a mini-version of the clouds we see in the sky. At sea level, steam is formed at 100° Celsius, 212° Fahrenheit. When the water vapor attaches itself to small bits of dust in the air raindrops form in warm temperatures. In cold temperatures, it freezes and forms snow or hail.
As I fill up the water bottle I keep by my computer, I acknowledge the fact I’m lucky to be able to drink the water straight from the tap. I have no need to walk miles to find fresh water to drink, nor do I need to buy it from the shop. It’s piped drinkable straight into my home. Yes, I have to pay for it, but I would rather know that I’m helping to keep a good supply of healthy, clean water for everyone in this country.
So cheers to you all. Enjoy whichever drink you choose, but remember without water, you wouldn’t be drinking it.
Have a wonderful day.
February 20, 2024
Storytime
CafeLit Online Magazine is a great place to hang out when you have a few minutes to yourself.
Just click on the link below for one of my short stories.
When the World Smiles.
View all responses“It will never rain roses:
when we want to have more roses, we must plant more roses.”
― George Eliot author
There’s a saying I like, which is, When you smile the world smiles with you, when you cry you cry alone. When I’m feeling down I always remind myself of the saying. Now to some, it might seem brutal, but surely when someone is crying, you should comfort them, and be there, ready to support them in their hour of need. The trouble is you can only support someone for so long when we all have problems of our own.
Unhappiness can be draining, it can suck you down into a pit of despair. When this happens it is time to seek out positive people who can lift you up. When I was going through my darkest days, my life was spiralling down I knew to escape the negativity, I needed to surround myself with positivity, and not pills or potions. I knew it would be hard but I had a young son to think about so I focused on what I wanted for him in the future.
The simple act of smiling can make a world of difference to your well-being. Happiness is the most infectious, positive thing us humans own. Just try it. Stand in a crowded space and start laughing. Not insanely, but a natural belly laugh. Watch it spread like wildfire. The person next to you will start laughing even though they don’t know what you are laughing about.
Laughing changes the stress hormone in our bloodstream with highly sought after chemicals in the brain, dopamine which enhances learning, motivation, and attention. Oxytocin is considered to be empathy hormone, which means you suddenly feel more connected to those around you. Endorphins trigger feelings of pleasure. All of this from the act of laughter as well as improving immune functioning, stress relief, improved cardiovascular health, reduced anxiety, sense of safety, and improved mood.
How many times have you said after watching a comedian on the TV, oh, I needed a good laugh. In moment of stress, laughter makes us all feel much better even when things aren’t going right. Sometimes, dark humour can hit the right spot, and lift us out of depression.
So in answer to the question, for me, the best people I surround myself with are the ones with a sense of humour, even if sometimes it’s quite wicked. Give me smiles every day of the week over sadness.
In this crazy world we all need more laughter.
Thank you for dropping by and please let me know whether you agree with me or not.
Keep on smiling 
February 18, 2024
These boots are made for walking.
View all responses
“Walking is the ultimate travel adventure. You never know where your feet will take you.”
— Richard A. Schmidt
My favourite footwear is my walking boots
. Yes, I have plenty of fashion shoes and boots in my wardrobe that I can match up to any outfit I want to wear on any occasion. I never take it for granted that I’m lucky enough to have a choice in what I wear on my feet. I know some people in this world are not so lucky, and might only have one pair of shoes.
When I was young, my mother couldn’t always afford to buy my sisters and me new shoes, especially for school, so we had to look after them. She could only afford to buy them when it was absolutely necessary. We had to take it in turns to who had the new shoes. When it was my turn to have a new pair, Mum asked me if I was willing to wait as my middle sister had damaged her shoes and needed a new pair for school. Of course, I was happy to wait as I knew we didn’t have much money and Mum liked us to go to school looking smart, so we were never picked on, or bullied for being poor.
My grandmother always said a person can always look well-dressed but it’s their shoes which will always give the state of their wealth away. I’ve always kept this in mind, and never let my shoes get worn down or look untidy.
I can’t tell you the number of walking boots I’ve worn out over the years because of my love of walking. The pure enjoyment of escaping the busy towns and cities with people rushing about, their heads down. If you want to set your spirit free, shake off stress and anxiety slip on a pair of walking boots and explore the countryside around you.
Mother Nature is always at her best early in the morning, so this is the time I love to got out walking. You always get to see some stunning sights. Owls hunting, deer heading for a place of safety, hares at play and foxes on the hunt.
Happy walking everyone,
Chat again soon.
Gift Of Friendship
View all responses
Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow
― Albert Camus
Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead
Walk beside me… just be my friend”
The best gift I’ve received is friendship. Having people who accept you for who you are is the best gift of all. These people don’t pass judgment on you but take time to really get to know you. They share in your happiness and help to create beautiful memories.
It’s wonderful to know in this insane world there are people you can trust to be there for you when things get difficult. They know how to make you smile, are there to give you a hug, or just to hold your hand and wipe away a tear.
The gift of friendship is freely given but is priceless.
Thank you to everyone who is a friend.
February 16, 2024
For King and Country.
Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?
WordPress Writing Prompt.
Being patriotic seems like a dirty word these days. It sums up all things negative, like colonialism, racism, and white supremacy, especially if you are white and English. If my loyalties lie with the country I was born in, that I have remained in for all of the sixty years I’ve walked this green earth, then I’m patriotic to England. In the words of Rupert Brooke.
Essex Country Lane in Autumn If I should die think only this of me. That is forever England. In that rich earth, a richer dust concealed ; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware. Gave once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam, A body of England's breathing English air, washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. It’s as though British history is just about what the British have done to others, rather than what humanity has done to each other over the course of a million years
Britain is a group of islands in the North Sea. In its long history, it has been invaded many times by other races. Starting from 2400 BC when the first people arrived. They were known as the Beaker folk, and they were followed by the Celts. In 55 BC, Celtic Britain was invaded by the Romans under Julius Caesar. As the Roman Empire declined, its hold on Britain loosened. By AD 410, Roman forces had been withdrawn, and small, isolated bands of migrating Germans began to invade Britain. The peoples were now called the ‘Anglo-Saxons’ and largely came from Jutland and northern Germany, first landing in Eastern Britain.
North York MoorsViking raids began in England in the late 8th century, primarily on monasteries. By the late 9th century, the Vikings had overrun most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that constituted England at the time. Next came the Normans, but in 1069, a large Danish army arrived in England to support an uprising in the North. Then there were the French and more invasions up to 1797.
In our diverse world, being patriotic to one’s own country will cause a large number of people to question just where their loyalty should lie. Let me explain. I’m English by birth, but my DNA calls that into question. Suddenly, I discovered I am not who I thought I was. I’m no longer 100% English, but made up of DNA from past invaders. These came from Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. My forefathers (or should that be mothers) brought my DNA to these lands from the earliest invasions into Britain.
So where should my patriotism lay now? In times of need, who should I stand up and be counted for?
Whitby, North YorkshireLiving in Britain in today’s world, it does concerns me. In our diverse population, with the growing number of refugees and migrants who have arrived here from war torn countries, does their patriotism stay with their own country or with the country who took them in?
I know, and understand that it’s a tough call to expect others to give up part of their identity. The Americans have this thing where they identify themselves as African American, Chinese American or Scottish American as though their patriotism is somehow watered down.
DNA testing shows us that there isn’t a country in the world that has invaded another country at some point in history. The migration of humans has been ongoing from country to country since the beginning of time.
I think I shall leave it to George Orwell to explain what it is to be English.
“In intention, at any rate, the English intelligentsia are Europeanized. They take their cookery from Paris and their opinions from Moscow. In the general patriotism of the country they form a sort of island of dissident thought. England is perhaps the only great country whose intellectuals are ashamed of their own nationality. In left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution, from horse racing to suet puddings. It is a strange fact, but it is unquestionably true that almost any English intellectual would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during ‘God save the King’ than of stealing from a poor box. All through the critical years many left-wingers were chipping away at English morale, trying to spread an outlook that was sometimes squashily pacifist, sometimes violently pro-Russian, but always anti-British.”
― George Orwell, England Your England
So in answer to the question, what does being patriotic mean to you?
It’s my love for the English countryside, the country lanes, the sound of the birds, the lark on the wing. The sounds in the woods on a spring day. It’s the rivers, and the fields, coastline and the moorlands. It’s the wildflowers and the stonewalls, and the right to being able to walk of miles without fear on public footpaths. It’s English poetry, English classic music and English artists.
I’m thankfully for the generations before me who believed in the rights of the Englishmen/women to be free. I’m not interested in religions and politics, but I will fight for my right to remain free to live my life in peace in My England.
February 14, 2024
Words and Pictures.
View all responses“The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.”
― Coco Chanel
I’m not sure anyone would want to write a book about me, but if they did. I hope it would say I’m not a follower, but more of an independent thinker. That I spoke honestly and thoughtfully before speaking my thoughts aloud. That I always searched for the truth, and never bent others to my way of thinking.
I hope whoever writes the book will say I was a child of nature and that the woods and fields were my home. That the trees, the birds and all wild creatures were my best friends. She would gladly walk miles from cities and towns into the heart of the English countryside to escape people. Her love of the natural world was always childlike in her excitement at seeing a hawk floating overhead. On seeing an owl hunting in the early morning or a dragonfly on a blade of grass.
Since she saw ants for the first time as a small child, she has marvelled at the beauty of nature. From raindrops to the dewdrops on a wildflower. To the beauty of the sunrise, to the stars in the night sky.
I hope they will say that it has always been beyond her understanding that there are people in the world whose minds are closed to the sheer wonder of a simple bluebell, the delicate touch of a butterfly’s wing or the sheer beauty of a snowflake.
I hope I’m remembered as my school teachers wrote in my report. ‘Paula is a daydreamer who always has her head in the clouds.’
Now I spent my days dreaming up plots and painting the natural world as I see it, so maybe the teacher was right I do have my head in the clouds.
And I’m certainly happy to be there. In this insane world of TikTok and shallow social media influencers, a walk in the countryside wherever you may live to be at one with the natural world is a far healthier place to be.
Thank you for dropping by.
Peace and Love to you all.
February 12, 2024
The Royalties Are In The Bank.
“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Okay, so I won’t be able to retire on my royalties, or even jet-set around the world on what little has just gone into the bank. It can be soul-destroying when you add up the hours spent writing, editing and rewriting book after book. All that hard work and worry about whether I’m good enough for what?
All those long hours in front of the computer only to find out the total number of books sold last year was sixty-eight. Sixty-eight won’t get me on the New York bestseller’s list, nor will selling 34k a quarter won’t either so there is no comparison between the two. It must be remembered I have to promote my books myself, and I don’t have a big budget behind me.
Would it make any difference, if I did?
My books are published by three small publishing companies, so I have to market the books myself. Bridge House Publishing does do a small amount, which is great, but I still would love to sell more. I did at one stage invest as much as I could afford into promoting my books. It’s a fool’s game. You can throw as much money as you like into marketing your books, but unless readers want to read them it won’t make a difference. The publisher of my novels believed in giving books away for free. This was supposed to generate sales on my other books, but I saw no increase in sales. I invested money in promoting these free giveaways which meant I was wasting money instead of making it.
In 2023, I decided not to spend any money on marketing and just promote my books across the net. I created a few ads using Canva which I keep updating. Another thing I did was to make sure I carried plenty of business cards with me when I went out. Whenever I engaged in conversation with someone and they showed an interest in hearing about my writing, I would ask them if they were a reader. If they said yes, I would then ask politely if they would be interested in checking out my books. I always try never to be pushy. The last thing you want to do is put people off. Now I know I can market my books better myself, why pay someone else.
The Meetings created by Anne Nelson, using Mr Bing AI.While I’ve been busy marketing, I’ve gained a lovely new reader of my books. Anne Nelson, created an illustration for the first story in my single collection Days Pass Like A Shadow.
The first story in the collection is The Meetings whose narrator is a park keeper. I first wrote this story after seeing a prompt in the Writing Magazine. You had to write a story about a park bench. On completing the story, I took it to work for a friend to read. When she got to the end, she started crying. “Oh, Paula, you made me cry.”
I decided instead of sending The Meetings to the writing competition, I would submit it to People’s Friend Magazine. They rejected the story, saying that the park keeper was behaving like a stalker as he watched the couple in the park. I was very disappointed with the comments I received from the magazine. I felt I had made it quite clear that the park keeper was busy working in the park when he came across the couple.
I set the story aside and focused on writing a novel. Then one day while flicking through the Writing Magazine I came across another writing competition and submitted ‘The Meetings.’ This time, it became the overall winner in that competition. I was pleased and always felt it was a good story.
I learnt an important lesson to never give up on your stories. Just edit them again and then submit elsewhere.
Happy Writing Everyone.
The Right for An Education
If you had the power to change one law, what would it be and why?
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
—- Nelson Mandela
I don’t know about changing a law, but if I could make one. It would be to ensure all young girls have a free education, to a high standard, across the world. It would be a crime against humanity to take them out of school before completing their education to get married. If they found themselves in an unfortunate situation to be pregnant at a young age, they would still be given help to complete their education.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." data-large-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." src="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." alt="" class="wp-image-1208" style="width:303px;height:auto" />Photo by Yogendra Singh on Pexels.comYoung girls must be educated to be able to lift poor families out of poverty. Women are the first teachers most babies learn from, so it makes sense to teach girls the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics. This gives them more freedom to make choices in the future. If you give young girls the basics in growing vegetables, cookery, hygiene, and money management, these skills are needed in running a home and looking after themselves and their family on a tight budget.
[image error]Pexels.com" data-medium-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." data-large-file="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." src="https://colourswordspaper.files.wordp..." alt="" class="wp-image-1213" style="width:278px;height:auto" />Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.comMy mother was poorly educated, and could barely read or write. If she had been better educated she would’ve been able to teach my siblings and me the basics before we started school. I helped my son, the best I could, to help him get further in life.
It doesn’t matter whether the girls go on to further education or not, but at least they can teach their children how to read and write to give their children the same opportunities for the future as they had themselves. The world needs more doctors, nurses, teachers, and scientists. The world doesn’t need more shallow TikTok Influencers. Young girls need to see themselves in roles where they are valuable members of society, rather than just how they look. I hope all girls, whoever they are, and wherever they come from, have a brighter future.
Chat again soon.
