Ramblings
Mark Fountain
has the last word
t the time of writing, we are either about
A
to witness the much-heralded global flu
pandemic or we are once again being
whipped into a frenzy of paranoia from
over-the-top media speculation for no good
reason. The death toll currently stands
When we can sometimes feel so small
at just over 150 poor souls in Mexico and the first case
has been discovered in Spain. Once again we have been
and insignificant in the face of immense
reminded that the 1918 pandemic killed more people
global changes, it is reassuring to
than were killed on all sides during the Great War. If
the worst does materialise, we can say goodbye to any
remember that we still have the power
hope of an economic recovery in the short-term. No
sooner was the latest news about the increasing deaths
to change our own lives broadcast then the next item declared that the value of
the Mexican stock exchange had suffered a dramatic
drop. Hotels were emptying as tourists scampered home
with face masks held firmly in place. So is the end
now really nigh? (Did those placard-wielding, bearded
eccentrics ever exist or were they just invented by lazy
cartoonists? Either way we don’t see them any more –
Exquisite: perfumed white blossom in and just when they might have been right after all.)
St Lawrence churchyard in Seal Chart last month The only comfort – if that is not an inappropriate
word under the circumstances – is that there is very little
that any of us can do about it. When the problems we
face are of such huge proportions, we just have to trust
that the people we have chosen to look after our interests
are up to the job. If not, then the people who are waiting
in the wings, and probably shaking with fear just in case
they do actually gain power, had better be equal to the
task. As Gordon Brown memorably said, “This isn’t the
time for novices.” Unfortunately, everyone is a novice
at dealing with these seemingly impossible difficulties.
Perhaps the hardest part of these combined concerns
is the uncertainty. Not knowing the full extent of a
problem or when it will be over increases the anxiety
levels and makes our natural desire to plan ahead
unrealistic. The only other option is to keep our fingers
crossed, live for the moment and to be thankful that the
ability of the human race to overcome the most mind-
boggling challenges has been proved countless times over
countless years.
But if the doom-mongers prove to be right and up to
75,000 people in the UK do fall victim to the flu then we
will at least realise that there are worse things that can
happen to us than losing our jobs or even our homes.
In the meantime, if we have our health then we should
value it and spend time ensuring that we keep it for as
long as possible. You might have discovered from reading
another article in this magazine that it needn’t cost you
much to improve your health. The joy of taking exercise
is greatly improved when it is done in the company of
others. The sense of wellbeing that can result from some
of the activities mentioned is twofold: improved health
and improved social life. When we can
sometimes feel so small and insignificant
in the face of immense global changes
it is reassuring to remember that we
still have the power to change our
own lives.

v
30 vine May 2009 onlinevine.co.uk
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