Posts Tagged ‘Ramblings’

On Immigration, after a stressful day

Sunday, August 30th, 2015

We’ve all by now seen the shocking pictures and stories of what is happening to people trying to get into Europe, or trying to get into the UK. I’m finding it hard to ignore. Today, I was reminded that I am the child of immigrants. My parents were born in Donegal, traditionally a poor county, in a poor country. For generations, people have left Donegal to seek a better life in other places, including many of my own family. Often the Irish have been welcomed in other places, but we shouldn’t forget the legendary “no dogs, no blacks, no Irish” signs. Few Irish fled persecution or danger in recent times – they were what are now called “economic migrants”. They were mostly lucky that legal options were available to them.

Those people desperate to get into Europe or the UK aren’t lucky. When we see what they are leaving, we can understand their reasons for wanting something better. But they aren’t just a mass of foreigners. They could so easily be my mum and dad, my aunts and uncles, my cousins. It could so easily be us out there. Having tried lots of other things, maybe it’s time we tried compassion.

I am still here!

Saturday, May 29th, 2010

Just a quick note to say that yes, I am still here.

And I haven’t fixed the banner graphic yet.

But I just haven’t been in a blogging mood recently I guess.

Main news items are:

  • I completed the Marie Curie Cycle Challenge last Saturday, on a beautiful sunny day, which was completely different to last year’s rain-soaked affair.
  • Which made me realise that I haven’t been doing any running in preparation for the Lisburn 10k, which I plan to do next month, to raise money for ACTS ministries. So I ran just under 3 miles on Sunday, and just over 3 miles on Monday. Together they would make up the 10 kilometers, but I think I have to do the run in one day, disappointingly.
  • But I have discovered the fantastic combo of iphone + runkeeper + bluetooth headphones for running, which gives to the stats on my run, and keeps me entertained wirelessly as I go, which is cool.
  • And my magic sunglasses with the polaroid lenses have broken, so I have lost my superpower until the new pair arrive.
  • Life has now more or less returned to normal after the trip to India.
  • And I finally managed to see the end of Lost today.