Peace, Love and Serenity

Right now I'm not a very nice person to be with. I never am when I am so disgruntled. And I cannot take more of l-Istrina. everybody is so happily giving away their time, their antics, their bluff, all in the good name of charity. Because as they keep saying, one day it could be me who needed help. That's so very true. The fact is I have always donated to the l-Istrina cause and that's not because I'm pious, nor to get a round of applause. Just factual, nothing else. So it could be me needing their services when life throws a ball of concrete right at my head. The thing is life did throw the concrete ball, I did need help, and where were the l-Istrina people? Nowhere in sight. Where were all the associations, groups which benefited from l-Istrina? Nowhere in sight. And I tried so very hard, I went through the phone directory like a maniac, I went to Caritas, I dialled 179, Called all the foundations such as Richmond. Oh God did I try. But apparently my ball of concrete was so unique that there was no help as yet. Trust me for finding a peculiar concrete ball and not a silly normal one. And to this day, there still is no help for those who are hit by the same concrete ball I was hit years ago. So I switch on my TV and see a bunch of clowns promising that if I ever needed help someone would be there, when I know there wouldn't be anybody. Because people are scared of pain, pain is something which doesn't even attract the flies, let alone attract the people. And of course they seem so intent on showing clips of people who once were on the downside of life, people who have been there and came out alive. That's sweet. But that is not the majority. Or it could be the majority, yet I have no place there. Being selfless is always commendable, but what happens when disaster strikes so close to home? Do I call these people? I actually have, but I apparently was so complicated that there was no place for a girl with a dark shadow hanging over her. Am I resentful? A little bit, yes. Because there was nobody around and I had to make it out of that pitch black hole on my own. Thankfully I was half my size back then, so that kind of helped matters. Pain is relative but pain is also just pain whatever kind of. And when you're thrown into that black hole without a warning, the pain is compounded. I could let bygones be bygones. But I know more people will be faced with that concrete ball, no matter how rare it happens. And to them I can only wish peace, love and serenity.

The video clip

So I did survive the chicken salad at McDonald's. I went further than that. Seeing that I have missed out on all the Christmas culinary niceties, I decided I really also deserved a Baci ice-cream as payment for all stress and gut incontinence. And it was fine, is must have been because I have lived to tell the tale to a day which I cannot stand much. It's the Strina day, when everyone huddles themselves opposite their TV plasma screens, or even a humble old TV screen to watch people going nuts. And because people like watching other people sing and act themselves silly, that means they will be donating money. I have no qualms about the donation bit. But really, do we have to watch clips of sick and disabled people at their worst every five minutes? Isn't that stripping them of their dignity? And no, I don't think that the ends justifies the means. People can amuse themselves silly and donate money, that is not a problem because for TV people like my twin, that means exposure and they choose to do it without anybody forcing them to. But for the other people who are less well off physically, mentally and whatever else, then no, reeling video clips of how these people are suffering is not on. If that is what it really takes to appeal to the population to donate for charity, then this is a country I'd rather not be in on days like today. And it's not because these video clips are ugly or anything of the sort. I am not complaining because I'd rather not see these people since they make me sick to my stomach. No, hell no. I am used to it, we had it in our family, we somehow managed, and we know what it's like to have people stop and stare as if we were some green people disembarking off a UFO. It's rude, and unkind to stop and stare at disabled people. And a lot of people will agree with me here. Why then, isn't it rude and unkind to stare at these people just because they are being aired on TV, so that gives us the opportunity to stare at them every five minutes while we're cosily curled on our sofa? It's the same, only worse. And do we Maltese really have to see physically twisted people to do out bit and think of the people who are less lucky? If it is the case, then I guess, it's us being mentally twisted and not the every-5-minute-video-clip. And perhaps they should turn the cameras to us who are comfortable seated, munching some mince pie, and being amused. I can take the TV personalities doing all the silly things in the world, I can take MP's doing all the silly things in the world. They're funny, and we get to see their less pedantic side. And they're funny because they have had their say, they know very well they are being caught on tape, and theirs is a bid to collect money for charity by looking silly. That's ok, quite commendable too. But it's not funny to watch that video clip. And while it perhaps is the only way that can reach some hardened hearts, I am not so sure. Because again, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and in this case they are heartbreaking, not for us, we can handle it. But what if we were them? Would we think it's a very good intention? And would we walk down that rocky path?