Yesterday's gales have dropped this morning although I could hear them overnight and now there also appears to have been a lot of rain. I am still mystified about why the storm did not merit a name. I have never been keen on the naming of storms in any case and this seems to affirm the stupidity of it. Let's just go back to saying the truth about weather, high winds expected and take care.
I went to the singing and lyric session yesterday which was a bit different because (a) we had a different tutor and (b) the organisers sent three from head office who don't usually attend.
Looking at (a) and (b):
(a) Philip was a wonderful folk singer and was just as good as Kim who ran the first two classes. So no grumbles with Philip. He sang and we sang with him. We didn't do any lyric writing this time though which was mainly because of lack of time because of (b):
(b) I smelt a rat as soon as I saw the three organisers in attendance. Something was afoot. We were told that we would be doing one hour of singing and the second hour we would swap places to the tables which had been set out on the other side of the room and work on tablets. What???
There was a questionnaire to complete (and had to be completed) which basically had a lot of questions about what courses would we like on Zoom. Of course we were all upset because the main reason we attend these groups is for the social interaction and seeing people. In fact the activity is secondary to the socialising.
So we were not a happy bunch. The two ladies on either side of me suggested to me that I answer the questions heavily on the side of needing support and help rather than saying that I am happily independent because they had heard whisper that funding was to be reduced to groups of low dependence. I am not happy leaning on the side of not being entirely truthful about things but I got the drift of what they were saying so on scales of 1 to 10 about my independence and wellbeing levels I opted for 5 where I would normally have given 9 or 10 scores as being highly independent.
The questions re. Zoom courses and the tablets on tables for our use were there for us to be given help with technology and how to access the organisers website and how the future could be with on-line courses.
The questionnaire did give a final question asking what were our thoughts on a future with Zoom on-line courses in place of what we have now. Of course I let rip and explained that I attend because I enjoy the company of other people and the socialising is very important to me as well as the creative side of the activities which stimulate the mind and body (we often do activities involving dance). (When we were going through the use of the tablets we were told that the lovely dance couple who come to us would be recording dance sessions for Zoom. This was terrible news and left me feeling bereft on the way home that we could lose all this because of funding cuts and the doors would be shut).
What more can I say? It is about getting old and the harder it gets to keep the body and mind going and the feeling that does anybody really care. I know that Labour want to get rid of us, we are in their way, and the sooner we disappear the better. It is lapping at our feet. Perhaps we should say we are asylum seekers who arrived on a boat and then we would get more help.
(By the way, in case you are wondering, these events are not free but subsidised by a government grant for culture).
How disappointing if the classes are moved to online Zoom events. There would not be much real social interaction there I think.
ReplyDeleteI was very despondent about it last night. Living in the situation that I do can sometimes lead to days between any social interaction and I know this is bad for me. I strive to make things happen for the best and then stuff like this gets thrown at us because of "government demands" (we were told). The whole ethos of the events would be taken away if they were to move on-line.
DeleteGood on you for letting loose. It doesn't seem like the sort of course you'd do on zoom.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I had a lot of experience of Zoom courses during Covid lockdowns and was grateful for them at the time I do not want to be forced to on screen learning again sitting alone at home because of a government letting its people down. Everybody in the room answered the questionnaire in a similar way and some showing their feelings by not answering the questions at all and striking a line through them.
Deletesomedays I wonder if I care either
ReplyDeleteI hold on to not giving up. Sometimes I am only just clinging on.
DeleteOne day I will give up
DeleteThings like that are always the first to go when funding gets tight. In my town, some really important work with people (young and old, immigrants and citizens) has been stopped because of the city‘s financial problems. Certainly not easy to decide on what to keep going and what has to stop, at least temporarily (though experience tells me that once something was stopped it is unlikely to ever return).
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of online meetings and calls at work, but when I am at the office and not working from home, I always make it a point to see people at their desks or make them come to my office. I also enjoy lunch at the canteen with my colleagues, and when I arrive in the morning, first thing is always a quick round to see who of them is there, and to exchange a few words.
Cultural events such as this in rural areas are important to the people who are retired and isolated. The grant has not been cut before surviving unscathed throughout the Conservative government. Of course it does not surprise me that Socialist government are doing this as nothing is beyond them in causing suffering to the people.
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