※SpinalGap24 ※

Answering number three, openly, is optional, but I'm sure we all have an answer somewhere!

1) If you could have dinner with 3 people from any time in history, whom would you invite? Why?

2) If you could have heard the deathbed confession of one person from history, who would you pick?

3) Which famous person, now dead, do you wish you could have seen naked?

4) Which is more important: actual experiences, or the memories that remain when the experiences are over?

Yes, indeed, I do wonder...why is that as I've been incapacitated, given the time to draw, write, mark students work, (as opposed to actually teaching in the classroom), and allowed to sit and recover from, or wait for, surgery, I can see the passing suburban traffic outside, those wan faces in the sun-deprived parts, who, just two weeks ago had the cross of St-George proudly emblazoned everywhere, and flying from a car window or three, are now reduced to the World Cup in-betweenies, without a cross to be seen.

I would say from my NHS observatory, that here in Norwich, one in ten cars flew the flag for England at the tail end of May/first week of June, but now, this morning, a full ten minutes of full freeflowing traffic...heavy traffic, spourned just one flag-flying car...a dear old lady too.
Why, why, why have people, (at least here), shed their flags? Have they abandoned their support because England won the group, undefeated?
Have they given up the dream, because we have avoided Germany and potentially Argentina?
Do we fear Ecuador so much? I wish to know the reason for this dramatic change, because it truly bugs me. My car, which I can't drive at present because of this broken spine, proudly displays one simple flag, and no matter what performance, or result, I am proud to fly it, even with mixed blood...I am proud to be an Englishman. It is, frankly, a pity that more people don't stick with the team, or country, instead of Hargreaving for something imaginary.

England have not played well, the manager has not managed brilliantly, our squad could have been better and fitter, but there you are, this is the challenge and so far you could NOT say we have failed it, could you?

I know a lot about Holland and the Dutch, and their team has hardly exelled...but their fans are more jubilant than our own. (They, incidentally, have exactly the same WC record as England, with two wins and a draw.)
I have also witnessed something extraordinary this summer: Scottish people actually showing more excitement and enthusiasm for the England team, than some English fans!

As you may guess, I love England, as someone who has been abroad most of their life, with some foreign family, and this is why I have written this post, from a medical hell, I see it more clearly.
Be happy England fans, please. Your pessimism is not helping anyone. (From a footballing perspective England have many faults, but without ANY belief, how will we ever get past a quarter-final?)

Rant over.

To the Smiths
of England
the wonder of it all
whether fourth or fifths
you surely should
stand tallest of them all.

A double nod to England and Morissey/The Smiths.