Christmas Spirit

 Christmas has started.  So far I am loving it loving it loving it.

I have been side tracked massively lately by geo politics.  Or just politics.  Hating the whole Brexit Trump double whammy.  The divisiveness and the folly.  The state of the world.  The dupedness of the popular vote.  And so on.  And I get all het up about it, and what can I do? what can I actually do? Even Caroline Lucas (our parlimentary representative) started a campaign to get fossil fuels out of government.  And even she asked me to "sign a petition".  Jesus.  Is that all we can do?

So then I flip back to my own world.  And the wonderful phrase

DO WHAT YOU CAN, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, WHERE YOU ARE

Which has nothing to do with Trump or Nigel Farage.

And this phrase is just so deep in my whole belief system.  Its a rock I can always return to.

And what I can do, is be part of my community.  I utterly believe in building community as a cornerstone to personal and group happiness.  Its part of what makes life great.   Belonging, contributing, sharing.  Without it we are miserable.

Capitalism and all its evils cannot make this happen.  This is something we have to do ourselves.

One of my favourite lines from any film ever is, "You have to make your own fun, otherwise its just entertainment"  (its from.... what? I don't even remember its in a film by David Mamet)
 
And so  -  our wonderful Hanover Community on the Hilly Laine, Brighton.  And the Hanover Community Noticeboard.  Which is the online facebook face of it.  Jenny McCall (apparently we have met once as she had a table at the Hanover Baby & Kids Stuff sale I used to organise) suggested we do a Hanover wide Street Advent calendar.  The idea is that every day throughout advent, streets in turn, will decorate and light up their windows.

I have been longing for a Whichelo Place street party for many years, but sole it is hard to muster.  But Jenny galvanised us.  And 6 of us stepped in to help organise our street for the 9th December.
 
Six of us made it easy.  And we delivered flyers to let everyone know, and knocked on doors.  We agreed to make mulled wine and mince pies and one of us volunteered their musician husband to play keyboards so we could have carols.  And on the day.  It came together.  About 40 households out of 80 took part.  We had 50+ folk out in the street, talking and mingling.  There was live music and the kids - so many of them! - had the time of their lives, running wild up and down the street in and out of each other's houses.  I don't think any of them had had more fun  -ever.  We met each other and had more than one cup of good cheer.  The street looked amazing all lit up.  It made me feel warm and fuzzy and tear up - it still does.  Even writing this.  This is who we are people.  This is our politics.  We are together.  We want to be together.  We like being social.  We like to join in and help out.  Jenny has described the organisation of the Hanover Advent Calendar as not being hard, but like "pushing on an opening door".  We are crying out for this call to come together.  Longing for someone to make the first move.  And that is all it takes.
 
So now, play streets and summer street parties are being planned and the world is different.  I am unbelievably happy about it.  And its a joy to feel  - well, JOY.