*Power

POWER – A PIG’S EYE VIEW

During these last few weeks we have witnessed the most extraordinary events, which have demonstrated greed, stupidity and the abuse of power.

We have watched the public cabbage-hurling humiliation of HBOS’s bosses, who are the latest in a long line of others, but surely will not be the last; and the frowning disapproval of the legal beagles whose job it is to bring them to order. We have seen the twists and turns of squirming top bank executives, politicians, speculators, City marketeers, and financiers of all descriptions, and a general public who gave their power away.

We have listened to the blame game of whose fault it is that the world, looking deep into its purse now, finds it has been short-changed. We have watched the papers and TV cautiously, not wanting to hear any more; not wanting to read the next pronouncement of  shocking head-lining news on which Mighty have fallen next, how bad it is and how bad it is going to get. Of course they may all give their bonuses back yet; and of course, pig’s may fly.

What should we do?

If you look at any wisdom on these matters, a few familiar words seem to surface.

“Reap what ye sow”

“Neither a borrower nor a lender be”

“Cut your coat according to your cloth”

“What can you expect from a hog but a grunt”

(Not that that is about money, but it is about pigs, who by the way, are potentially more intelligent than other animals.)

Ok, ok, I won’t rub our noses in it, although that stink of foul play was probably what we all needed to bring our attention to the problem. There is nothing like personal discomfort to wake one up to whatever is wrong.

So who has the power now?

It is most probable, from past experience, that Common Man will be the driving-force to turn the situation around – after all it is our work, earnings and savings that has funded the whole debacle anyway. If those in the position to abuse our funds have misused it, it is up to us to not let it happen again. We really need to make a stand and make our voices heard. Yes, new regulation must be installed, and we need to know that when we put our six-penneth in, we will get at least our six-penneth out.

Do you remember the days before banks? No, I don’t, either. But there are myths and legends a-plenty about mattresses being stuffed with notes, tea-caddies lurking behind the pots and pans, stuffed with the housewife’s shillings, body-belts adding to the mid-riff bulge and piggy banks rattling with the satisfying sound of pennies saved.

What should we do?

I wonder why we, human beings, need to hoard so much money?  Of course, we all grew up with the idea that we should keep a nest-egg – one kept back for that rainy day, when the hen refused to lay, or the fox took her away, or the day we caught a cold, or the day we couldn’t work. When did the nest egg become a gold-mine? Who fed us Fear for breakfast – a fear that made us believe that enough was never enough? Well, now, it seems, we have all caught a cold, and many are being told they can’t work.

We could all cry over spilled milk, (sorry about all the mixed metaphors, but at least they are all down on the farm), but what is done is done. We are going to have a year or two of discontent, that’s pretty certain, yet there may be a glimmer of hope, a new day to start anew, a chance to pull ourselves up by our boot-straps, again.

Those who can, will do this automatically. It is in our blood, to work for our needs, nay, more than needs, the little treat, and maybe the odd luxury, because it is in our genes to survive.

The POWER to change is right within us. Yes, you and I, and all those we love, we can do something towards a new life, a new attitude, a better way, starting from today: economise, make do and mend, tighten the sow’s ear, sorry, purse strings, cut back on our excesses.

It isn’t all that bad. It can be fun, creative, a challenge in the best possible way, and very rewarding. It’ll be like the good old days.

And when we take the power back into our own hands, we shall be more careful about how we look after the pennies so the pounds look after themselves. We will keep our savings in a SAFE place, not hand them over to strangers, bewitched by the promise of hoards of gold at the end of the rainbow, entranced by the get-rich-quick-let’s-be-a-millionaire temptations.

Heads down, brothers and sisters, let the whirl-wind of credit-crunchies panic and run  around like head-less chicken if they will. Steadfastness and fortitude, determination and hard work will see us through. Remember, if you have nothing, you can only lose nothing, and you can’t take it with you, anyway. We may only have two brass farthings left from our comprehensive-retire-early pension plan, but look at it this way – a brass farthing in the hand is worth two in the bank these days.

The power to change things for the better is in the power of thought. The mind is the most powerful thing we have, to use for inner self-empowerment, and to empower others with kindness. We can all be as happy as a pig in sh..!

Wendy Salter [oink!]

The way to real power is to find inner love and then give it to everyone.

[original writing]