Life under the Stairs

By Local Resident, Jane Stevenson

LISTEN TO THE SNOWFLAKES

Another year passes – and hasn’t it been a strange time. I’ve found Covid and post-Covid life challenging and rewarding. A strange brew to be sure, given the severity of the events we have shared.

There are things I’ve taken on board this year which have helped shape my thoughts and actions. Not from peers and those in my own (very old) age group, but from talking to a diverse group of folk, all very much younger than myself. Those, in the past, we have always suggested are ‘seen and not heard’. I’ve found such conversations, stimulating, thought provoking, difficult and exciting. Such discussions have given me a renewed view of life as it is.

I toddled down to Bristol recently, to visit the Youngest Offspring and his house mates. A vibrant and talkative group of twenty somethings featuring a cross section of that generation. I dined with a psychologist, a Maths PhD student, a biodiversity consultant, a teacher, bookseller, resting vet and an organic food shop supervisor. It was an interesting mixture of views and opinions, all passionately discussed.

I learnt about the plight of retail staff in a national chain, regarding conditions of work and the poor pay; how we can all help towards regulating climate control, sometimes by changing the smallest of habits; I was told how a small local organic business supports local producers, artisans and promotes cruelty free products. We spoke of upcycling, repurposing possessions and the hidden shame of domestic abuse. Such a variety of topics.

It brought home a couple of points. We are bombarded with news and media headlines about climate change, use of plastics, food poverty, upcycling, repurposing etc, but how much do we take on board?

I’ve always been interested in conservation and the environment, but the lack of any real plan following the COP 26 conference made me uneasy about the reality of international commitment. I’ve never been well read on the subject, living more by an instinctive choice than a formed opinion. However, during one meal with this eclectic group, I learnt so much from them about such problems, put forward with passion, well-articulated argument backed by the all-important evidence.

Not so much the inconsequential concerns of the much maligned ‘snowflake generation’ but a wake-up call for those of us who have become so insular these past two years.

Since my return to Dartford, I have tried to make some changes. They are individual to me and will have little effect on the world’s problems: but I am pleased to have made a difference. My small contribution to healing our very damaged environment is a start.

Motivated by my dinnertime conversation, may I suggest something we could all do. Let’s change one thing. Swap our current brand of washing up liquid for a plant-based version? Stop using wet wipes and go back to a cloth – an old flannel of course. Buy our veg loose, or support one of the many farm shops in the area. Shop around for local arts and crafts, local businesses, and services.

As with the pandemic, we are all in this together.

Have a wonderful 2022. Love and good health to you all.

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