Patriot Realm

Why do we fear ghosts and all things supernatural on this day in particular? The customs of Halloween go back centuries and are so deeply steeped in religion and tradition that nothing about this tradition seems strange when you understand where it comes from. Yet, I never grew up with Halloween.

It was 1939. My two older sisters and I were riding our bikes to school and Mum told Dad that she had heard a lady say “those Kirke children are strange, the eldest girl (Margery) rides along singing, the next girl (Mickey) whistles, and the boy talks to himself " … it's all true. In fact, I am not at all surprised that a couple of cats actually answer.

My wife and are very fortunate to have been able to travel extensively and frequently. This trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway was the longest and one of the stand-out experiences of our lives. These days, with travel having been so severely limited, it is good to be able to share memories of past journeys and past experiences. 

Lines are drawn on maps and continents carved up according to some pre-ordained or directed order: create a country, a state or a new political identity by drawing a pen line on a map.

Someone, somewhere, decides that this is where a border will go and so shall it be. The worker ants scurry off to carry out the master's orders. 

When we line up to vote we do so because we naively believe that our vote means something. We listen to the policies and promises of each political party and decide which is the best fit for us.