A few days ago, it hadn’t even occurred
to me that New Years Day this year marked the passing of a decade and I’m not sure
about the significance of it. I don’t remember
New Year’s Day 2010 being remotely noteworthy and having lived through the passing
of a millennium and forty-three new years, I’m wise enough to know that these moments
of fireworks, pealing bells, kisses and celebration are just passing moments,
just another day. It’s not that I don’t
value these points in our calendar when we pause, take stock and even make new
resolutions, but it’s social media that has got us thinking differently and suddenly
everyone’s reflecting on the passing of a whole decade. I’ve happily joined in with this year’s
decade photograph challenge and I’ll just as happily join in with some reflection
on the past ten years.
There was sadness for me in the
past decade as I lost the last of my grandparents in 2015 and 2016 and a dear
aunt in 2019. I was, however, so proud
of my Grampy and Gran and so blessed to have been loved by them until I was
nearly forty, and the death of my Auntie Marion – as tragic and shocking as it
was – brought her family and mine closer together in a way she would have loved,
and a shared resolution to remain closer. I also gained a gorgeous niece and a wonderful
nephew (and two honorary nephews) who bring me endless joy. My grandparents taught me the value of family
and I might actually feel closer now to my mum, dad and brother than I have
ever felt. There may not be many more
visits to Cornwall now that mum and dad have decided to move back to Devon, but
over the past decade, I’ve spent a full year in Lizard, loving my time with
them and the many miles of clifftop I’ve walked with crazy Bramble-Dog.
I’ve encountered some unpleasant
characters including one who could have destroyed me, but I have the incredible
good fortune to be surrounded by far more awesome people. Without them, I know my decade would have been
far less bright. Together, we’ve
celebrated weddings, skied in the Alps, welcomed the Olympics to London, marked
a Royal wedding and the Diamond Jubilee, danced and flirted in clubs and
streets and at concerts and festivals, eaten Michelin-starred food and stuffed
our faces with equally delicious home-cooked meals and afternoon teas, completed
a cookery course, travelled around Europe and even to Costa Rica, played in the
snow, sun-bathed on the beach, run places (some of us marathons, some of us less
far), walked dogs, skated on ice, drunk gallons of cocktails, gin and wine, swapped
books, moved home and sat together in hospital.
Many of the same faces I see in photographs from ten years ago have
stuck with me through the thick and thin of the past decade, bringing me comfort
and support when I’ve needed to cry but far more smiles, laughter, silliness,
life-enhancing memories and love. I
really don’t know how that’s happened or how I can deserve to be so remarkably fortunate!
At work, the Cranborne-years
marked a blip in my career but they didn’t end it as I thought they might. A certain man made those years difficult but I
also worked with some good people, inspiring teachers and wonderful children
and families and I learnt valuable lessons, not least the power a Headteacher
can command and the impact one person can have on a culture and its people. Leaving without knowing what I was going to do
next was both a relief and daunting, and it was certainly bold! Stumbling into special education at Linwood
was the best career move I’ve made. Once
again, I work with amazing teachers and teaching assistants, many of whom have
become great new friends; I love being back in the classroom; I’m rediscovering
my ambition and starting to lead again and, above all, I’m learning for myself,
which I enjoy immensely.
Writing this, I’m conscious of
the things that haven’t happened to me in the last decade. I’ve had accidents and been unwell, but I’ve
not had to stay in hospital. I’ve chosen
to change my job but I’ve not lost it nor been made redundant. I’ve never been hungry or had to use a
foodbank. I’ve not been the victim of a
crime. No-one injured me. (It seems I don’t need other people’s help on
that front!). I’ve not lost my home and
the most uncomfortable place I’ve had to sleep is on the floor of a friend’s
room after a wild night out. I’ve not
been attacked because of who I am, my beliefs or something I’ve said. I’ve never been arrested. I don’t have to hide and I have little to
fear. It’s easy to take all that I have
for granted but I don’t and I know I’m a very lucky boy.
Although a part of me doesn’t
want to put any sort of a downer on my personally positive review of the decade,
it would be wrong to indulge in self-satisfaction and ignore what is going on
around me. The truth is: I don’t ignore
it. Generally, I think of myself as a
positive and optimistic person but sadly, I’ve never felt more pessimistic about
the future my niece and nephew and the children I teach are growing into. The poverty and homelessness I see around me
every day appals me. I accept Brexit is
going to happen but for me, it represents the worst of a Little England to
which I don’t feel I belong and I still fear for the impact it will have culturally,
economically and on the influence we have in the world. We ended a decade with Australia in flames yet
Australia remains one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters and its government’s
response to climate change – like that of governments around the world – is pitiful. After decades of denial, uncertainty and
inaction, we may in the past ten years have woken up to this emergency but we
still seem to be fumbling around in the dark for solutions.
I’m afraid too for the state of politics
and democracy in Britain and around the world.
The quality of our politicians is poor; they lie and aren’t trusted (I
don’t trust them) and for their own interests, they exploit the democratic
deficit that they perpetuate. I wish
Boris and his government well but I think the prospects for his tenure as PM are
bleak and depressing. Like Nelson
Mandela, I believe in the power of education to change the world, but there are
too many children who don’t go to school and the quality of education is far from
good enough for far too many children even in the UK and it is far too slow to
improve. We depend on politicians to
lead development in education but I’m more convinced than ever that it’s not in
their interests to do so; a better educated population might expect more of
them, question them more and shift the balance of power.
Despite this gloomy view of the
wider world, I’m still beginning a new decade feeling overwhelmingly
positive. I believe that individuals –
me included – can do small things that can make a difference and that if we can’t
rely on politicians to bring us together, we can come together positively in
other ways – through social media and the great work of charities, for example. The past decade gives me hope personally and
reminds me of what is possible; the value of family; the love of my friends;
that we can counter the worst of humanity with the best of it; the value of
learning; the significance of good, hard work and ambition and that I can overcome
personal trials and adversity with the help of the wonderful people around me.