Coincidence is a funny animal.
I've just finished rereading Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island.On the last page he writes:
Quote:
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What an enigma Britain will seem to historians when they look back on the second half of the twentieth century.Here is a country that fought and won a noble war,dismantled a mighty empire in a generally benign and enlightened way, created a far seeing welfare state-in short,did everything nearly everything right-and then spent the rest of the century looking on itself as a chronic failure.The fact is that this is still the best place in the world for most things-to post a letter, go for a walk, watch television, buy a book, venture out for a drink, go to a museum, use the bank, get lost, seek help, or stand on a hillside and take in a view.
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Now this comes on top of the many exasperations that he had suffered living, working and travelling in Britain all obviously as an interloper on sufferance and he still thought this was a terrific place to live.
Sometimes perhaps we just don't appreciate what we do have and just get caught on one or two negatives whilst failing to see the overall positive and it takes the stranger to point out that we do have a great life and a glorious place to live.All those immigrants may just as well be drawn here because they wish to share in what is so wonderful here that they don't find in their own country.
Freedom,justice,education,welfare and the right to disagree with authority provided it's done so in a civilised manner plus beautiful scenery.Who wouldn't treasure all that?
