Neil Whitehead

From Garth Marenghi, Master of Horrotica… (WARNING: spicy content)

Whatever the outcome of the UK election, I hope we try and make the most of this beautiful country, and this miraculous world, and the short time we all have together here, tumbling round the sun on this giant ball. I hope we try and push politics and the press a tiny bit toward more positivity. Try and help good people to move forward in life, and bring good people here to help us all move forward, and become more prosperous too. Say hello to a neighbour. Raise our eyebrows to a stranger in the street. Throw our litter in the bin. Donate to a justgiving thing for something worthy. Hold the door open for the person behind. Put something in the foodbank box at the supermarket. Have a chat with the homeless person on the corner, even if we don't have any change. I'm sure I have very good friends who voted for every party, and some who've voted for none. Some who have been waiting with delight for Labour's big win, or for the Tories to be gone, or a particular 'Portillo moment', or for the Lib Dems or the Greens or a particular independent to do a little better than expected, or for Nigel to make his first parliamentary speech. Some who are nervous, or distraught, or simply don't care. And I'm sure they all have their reasons, and concerns, and hopes, and much more going on in their lives beyond political power. We are all here for just a short time, and things can be tough in so many ways, and a delight in so many others, and most frequently a mix of the two. Change is here in one small aspect of this all - the people who we occasionally talk of as leading the country, when really they're just guiding along a few aspects of a very complicated system we're all a part of, that's too complex to be fully controlled. Whether that change in the people representing us, and passing laws, is to people you're happy about, or to people you hate, we are half way through the year, with an opportunity to try and do a little better for ourselves, or our families, or our friends, or our colleagues, or our neighbours, and our country, and for the world overall. Whoever you voted for, or if you voted for nobody at all, I hope the week has been good for you, and the first 186 days of the year ok too, and that - whatever this small change in life brings - the remainder of the year holds some positivity for you too.