A Death in the Family

A few weeks ago I was going to start writing my latest blog something about the Eurozone but on the day I was going to write it I saw an item on the news which said a couple had committed suicide because they could no longer deal with being on the dole, they had been living in one room in their house because they couldn't afford to heat the whole house and had been walking 6 miles each Sunday to a food bank because they had no money for food.  I felt as though someone had punched me so hard I couldn't breath.  Since then I haven't been able to write - this blog, my other blog about spondilitis or do any work on my latest book "What Have Air Raid Wardens Got To Do With It?".  Some people would say this is writers block after all, in this last year I have written 2 books "Days of Thrift" and my autobiography "Pulling Myself Towards Myself" which was pretty draining as I told the whole truth about myself and some could say I have lived a pretty scandalous life and known some very dangerous people plus I have written a childrens book "The Artistic Yetis Cafe" which is being evaluated by my agent; that is a lot of work.  But it was not writers block, it was the great sadness I feel about that couple and all the other people losing their jobs, their hopes and knowing there will be more deaths by poverty. 
Then I remembered Woody Guthrie, he literally had nothing but the clothes on his back and his guitar, a hobo riding the rails in America during the Depression looking for work.  I had always liked his reply to a man who accused him of being a communist.  He said something like "Yes, I'm a comm'nist, I believe in what we all have in common".  So do I. I am getting back to work, there is a strike to support, a book to write, emails to send to annoy MPs, petitions to sign and I am working out how to disseminate my ABC ideas. I am using my sadness and anger about that couples deaths as fuel.  I have decided we live in the twenty first century and now is the time to make a great society for all of us.