I think my mood became low when Tricia told me that a JCB excavator had just moved on to a site that is to be developed for housing and that it was ripping out the hedgerows. Hedgerows that were hundreds of years old. I am almost moved to tears by this action. My stomach is churning with anxiety and despair, and I am gripped by such a strong feeling of inadequacy at my inability to do anything about it.
Tricia is so strong willed and fights and rails against greedy landowners and developers with all her heart. Yesterday she even went so far as to confront the local farmer in person and tell him what she felt about his selfish wanton destruction of our countryside. I am so proud of her.
But me? All I do is sit here seething with anger. Gnash my teeth and say what's the bloody point of fighting? Money talks and money wins the day. We have no chance of winning.
And the horrible thing is; the horrible thing that makes me feel so inadequate, is that I feel ashamed that I am not more confrontational. And why am I not fighting tooth and nail? Because I don't want to spend what is left of my life being Mr Angry that's why.
"Please Tricia," I say to her when she brings me the latest bit of bad news about more land being sold off, "please don't tell me any more. I don't want to hear it."
Maybe I shall just sit here on the rickety bloody fence until someone knocks me off it. Someone in a JCB excavator no doubt.
OR MAYBE NOT!
I know how you feel, John. Where I live the fields are rapidly disappearing so that new housing estates can go up. We're crowded out with houses now, we really don't want more. Thank goodness our major parkland is protected... but for how long? However, it's no use giving yourself a heart attack over it. Leave it to Tricia... oh and would you ask if she was time to visit the Midlands. We need someone like her.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same. When we had a new well drilled,the company promised not to any damage.They ripped up trees and churned the ground..it looked like the bloody Somme. I wept like a baby over the trees. We called the company boss for a site visit.He was appalled,but still didn't replace the trees.
ReplyDeleteJane x
I understand how you feel. I have in my lifetime come across causes that infuriate me. I have been known to organize groups to try to negotiate a good outcome to the problem. Sometimes we were successful, sometimes not. What I did learn is that once the deed is done it cannot be undone. Perhaps it can be slightly changed but often the plans were in the works for a long time before. If you want to be vigilant and know about everything that will happen maybe you can stop bad things. The one thing you can do all the time is manage yourself. You have been doing that all your life. It is the reason you survived your childhood. Learn to sit down, breath deeply, and clear your mind. When you are calm try to look at the problem logically. Not with your feelings but with your brain. You will find that even though you may not like the outcome, your blood pressure has settled. But who knows? You may even be able to use your brain to find a solution beneficial for all parties. You are intelligent enough you know.
ReplyDeleteWhen the thousand acres of prairie across our road was sold to developers, I felt much the same way. Despite enthusiastic efforts of locals in our little houses here and there to combat rezoning, it was determined by a county greedy for revenue, that grazing cattle and horses didn't qualify as "land use". Now there are apartments and housing tracts. I was prescribed a mild sedative and had my well drilled deeper. I am calmer since my water pump stopped sucking air. Adjustments ahead, John, but I'm pulling for you.
ReplyDeleteI sympathize. There are many trees that I like more than most people. We live in a system, though, where the folks who "own" the land have a lot of rights to abuse as they see fit. It's not right, but the anger over it probably hurts you more than it does the developer.
ReplyDeleteMight help to plant a few of your own as a tribute to the fallen. That's the way of the world, after all, for the old to give way to the new.
You might feel terrible and frustrated and angry with yourself but at least you now know there are lots of us the same. It will also be different on other days/weeks/years. We also have to know which battles to pick for our own health's sake. Only a good soul feels like you do about situations like this.
ReplyDeleteWe in the States face the same evil. Wishing you luck. Hats off to Trisha!
ReplyDeleteIt may be a wise decision to just sit and stew. It is ok. I bet in your younger years, you fought many a battle for things you believed in. Some times, we pass the baton.
ReplyDeleteJust because you aren't confrontational doesn't mean you don't care. I agree with Claire.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear of your dilemma John, but as others above have mentioned, you have got to pick your battles, if not you'll be stressing about all the ills in life.
ReplyDeleteIt happens here all the time. Rich foreign investors come along and tear down beautiful 100 year old trees and shift land around, thus creating drainage problems and erosion.....all in the name of gated villas and posh trillion dollar homes.
Our water reserves are unable to sustain the continuous rise in population.
Our government turns the other cheek because it's foreign exchange being pumped into the economy, but at what cost?
I always wonder how much more development our poor little island can handle before we sink again into the ocean from whence we came.
I've joined an online petition site to fight the wrongs that are highlighted in various areas of the world, but how much attention do those in authority give to millions of signatures? Sometimes it works, (if only for a while) and sometimes it's just a waste of time.
So chin up and hang tight John, your health is more important. They're gonna do what they want to anyway.
Go Tricia, I have been part of many a scuffle over the years to do with conservation of our beautiful island. One battle ended in the high court which we won. In fact in the 4 major battles I've been involved in, we have only lost one. I'm about to get stuck in again as t
ReplyDelete