LIVE 24-SEVEN
CL AIRE IN THE COUNTY HERE WE GO AGAIN….
Even before the last mouthful of Christmas pudding has been eaten, the sale ads on TV start! They bombard us with the ‘dream’, the holiday ads full of happy, smiling families, all together, all getting on - mum, dad and 2.2 children, with their gorgeous bodies splashing around in the pool in their gorgeous swimwear!
The perfect house, with the perfect sofa, luring us to spend, spend and SPEND some more! We have just endured Black Friday, and now we have every bit of media telling us we need to spend even more. The stalker ads on Facebook, bill boards in the street and that is on top of all the money spent at Christmas!
This year, let’s all take a year out, stop spending money on ‘stuff’. Let’s make 2019 the year where you focus on time – you know ‘having fun and bringing a bit of happiness to those around you’. Let’s get to know our neighbour, our community this must be better for the environment in more ways than one? There is so much unhappiness in the world and I truly think a lot of it is down to materialism.
The demands on parents to fulfil the wishes of their children is truly immense, little Johnny demanding the latest X-box, little Jane begging for the latest smart phone, parents feel they have to deliver or they have failed. These gifts are often bought
because parents feel guilty despite the fact they work so hard to provide all they do, it’s a sort of way of making up for the time that they’re not there.
As you read this, I’m sure you think this is a grumpy old feature for 2019 – but it’s not. Truly!
The reality is very few of us have that ideal family, we live in a very different age. The power of social media and B grade or possibly D grade celebrities with almost every image retouched can often mean we forget that WE are the norm, and that most of the images we see are actually unreal! Let’s accept ourselves for who we are, and most importantly encourage our children to do so as well. Let’s address positively the incidents of mental health issues as our younger generations feel more and more discontent, as they immerse themselves in their phones and social media!
This year dare to be different, make a stand, save your money to make memories - go without the new sofa – buy a cushion or two to liven up your lounge instead, don’t book an expensive holiday abroad- clear out the shed and find that old tent, and arrange a camping holiday. If you are a single parent, you CAN still do it, and inexpensively too!
Most importantly, find that old family camera and take some real pictures this year, put them into a proper album so that this time next year, after the New Year hangover has lifted – you can sit on that battered sofa of yours, together with your nearest and dearest and flick through the pages and laugh together at all that you did in 2019.
Time is so much more important than ‘stuff’ and memories on smart phone get forgotten.
Wishing you all a very happy New Year, I hope you take time out in 2019 to spend time with those you love, family, friends, neighbours and your community – you’ll find it good for your wallet, good for the environment and good for the soul – ENJOY!
91
LIVE24-SEVEN.COM
CLAIRE IN THE COUNT Y TAK E T IME OUT IN 2 0 1 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
