Take the day orf, ma'am.

Greetings blogfans!

So I may have fibbed a little, just a teeny bit. I promised you a book-based blog this week, and while that one is ready I thought I'd delay it until next week - if only to talk about something a little topical, which by next week would no longer be as topical, and we'd have a topical-less blog. Now that's not something anyone wants is it?

Unless you've been living in a cave, you can't have failed to notice that the nation seems to be gripped with Jubilee fever. Other than sounding like a horribly itchy rash, it also makes me unsure as to how I should feel towards it.

© Mike Penlington

Even the bus shelters have caught it. Nasty stuff.

I'm not entirely sure where to stand on this issue. As difficult as it apparently is for many to swallow, I'm not a royalist by any means. I have nothing against the Queen or the Royal family in any way, but as I favour a more socialist form of government, she's not my cup of tea when it comes to choosing my lords and masters. And that's not to say I don't realise I'm the only one living here, take David Cameron for example. I personally happen to think he's an arrogant public schoolboy with more money than sense, who doesn't care who he steps on provided his mates are doing okay. But it would seem lots of other people disagreed with me, and he got voted in, and I have to live with that.

Now while she doesn't have as much power as we might associate with a monarch, I'm still not a fan of someone who wasn't elected being in charge of things. I realise she and the other royals have done a lot of charity work, and are symbols of our heritage and culture and all this, but do we really need a celebration to mark it? Will I get the whole country throwing me a huge party after 60 years of me sitting on the throne? (That's what I like to call my toilet, it makes me feel important.)

We're meant to be in a recession, millions are jobless and we apparently have no money to fix it all. Yet we have enough to do all of this. Not that I'm against big celebrations mind, the Olympics are costing ridiculous amounts to fund but there are many readily apparent benefits to offset the costs (increased tourism, bigger interest generated in our country, etc).

© Katherine♥

However, ever the optimist that I am, perhaps we can look at the good points of all this. Whatever else it's doing, it's bringing the nation together (in a manner of speaking). Whether you're celebrating or rebuking, it's being talked about. And as I'm reminded by the loud screams and smell of burgers emanating from my neighbours garden, people are gathering to celebrate. And while I'm not a fan of the reason, I do think it's good that people are getting together and being in each other's company. It's one of the things I somewhat envy America for, the idea of Thanksgiving has always appealed to me (regardless of it's dodgy roots and thievery of turkey from Christmas dinners everywhere).

But what do I know, I'm just a citizen. Just a lowly worker. Though I'll be honest, I wouldn't mind a national holiday on my birthday, or maybe just when I'm dead? I think I'd be okay with that. In any case, tomorrow is the day and soon it will be over, and we can go back to looking forward to the important things (Euro 2012, Christmas and the impending end of the world, yay!). And of course, next week's exciting instalment of what excuse I'll use to cover up not having written a proper blog.

I will leave you with this thought: why is it that when someone tells you that there’s billions of stars in the universe, you believe them. But if they tell you there’s wet paint somewhere you have to touch it?

 

~ Toby