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  However, for the purpose of this post, it is not so much the classical definition of idealism that I am interested.  It is more that which might be called the lay-person's definition. It is that of 'the idealism of youth.'  To which we might also add 'the idealism of the religious believer', even if the latter tends to hold sway, holds onto more of it's adherents or victims for the duration of their lives. Now, I do not know if everybody, in their youth, had a concept of idealism which they believed in and pursued.  Probably until that fateful, either gradual or sudden moment when it struck them/us, that our 'idealism' is  unrealistic , and not achievable.  Of course, we do not have to see idealism as pertaining to just one thing.  Our idealism could be multiple idealisms, where it relates to our political ideology, our personal life, our choice of partners, and our religious beliefs, among others. We can see what is probably the 'ultimate idealism

  A Very  Big Congratulations to Team Red Bull and Max Verstappen  for having made it another Formula 1 Win at the Austrian Grand Prix.  And to Team Mercedes and Valtteri Bottas, for making it to P.2, and to Lando Norris and Team Mclaren for making it to P.3.   Even though it might have been P.2 for Norris, had his race not been hampered by a seemingly overly harsh, if not questionable 5 second penalty for what seemed like a racing incident between him and Sergio. Hamilton failed to make it to the Podium as his Car 44 and became even more pedestrian, as a result of  some damage it reportedly suffered navigating the prickly curbs of the Red Bull Circuit. As we celebrate Red Bull's renaissance and Max Verstappen's now seemingly relentless and consistent progress towards maintaining his dominance in the 2021 Drivers Championship battle, it is hard not to spare a thought for Hamilton's fate so far.  It does not really matters that Lewis 'Polist' Hamilton is already a 7

  Partly as a result of being able to continue to have more freedom and independence in what you are able to do and how you are able to do it. It is probably never an easy matter to address; that pertaining to increasing vulnerability and maintaining ones relative independence and freedom.  Not when our 'natural' response to danger or risk, is to protect the at risk person.  And so it is that, each fall my dear mother has, leads, demands of me, and, indeed, others, such as the carers, the district nurses and the paramedics and hospital staff.   To revisit, to review what arrangements are in place for ensuring my dear mother's safety.   Within recent weeks my dear mother has had two occasions in which she found herself on her bedroom floor and unable to get up on her own.  Fortunately, like the proverbial resilient child, my dear mother has not suffered any harm.  But each occasion poses, acutely, the question : Is now the time for me to be ensuring that there is someone pre

  Even if prudence teaches us that, after we have reached a certain age, we should begin to err on the side of caution, we should live a day, a month, a year at a time. The current and more pressing concern I have for my dear mother's welfare, pertains to her increasing tendency to fall, slide out of her bed and finding herself on her floor, without being able to get up on her own.  More than ever, these incidences raise questions about my dear mother's living conditions. Her living on her own. Her living independently.  Questions about balancing the advantages and disadvantages of living more safely but with less independence, less freedom. Of living in your own apartment versus living in a care or nursing home. There are, of course, other things which has to be balanced when we make decisions about a vulnerable person living in their own home, or in a care home.  Decisions such as being able to wear your own clothes and the kind of clothes you want to wear.  Decisions such as

  This was a period in his life when Kazaliwa was still struggling big time, as it were, with maintaining relationship.  A time when he would make decisions in anger, as it were, without giving any consideration to the the consequences of the decisions he was making.  Or considering it but then acting on impulse or giving way to his feelings. As he did on that fateful day when he went out with the sales team somewhere in Leicestershire.   Had a very heated disagreement with his boss and decided that he was leaving the job then and there.  Not only was it a case of him leaving the job on the spot.  But there was also the major obstacle of how was he going to get back home.   As the rest of the team needed to continue knocking on doors to make their money for the day?  With Kazaliwa, at that point in his life's journey, not thinking it unreasonable for him to insist that the manager takes him home or make arrangement for him to get home.  There was the potential for the altercation b

  The local authority and/or other adoption agencies should also take care to avoid placing an unreasonable, and, probably critical burden on prospective and actual adoptors.  Such as around who should have contact with their adopted child, the nature and frequency of the contact, and how it is managed.  Where they have in fact placed an unreasonable burden on the adoptive family.   Probably arguing that face-to-face contact is in the child's best interest, even though it places the security and stability of the adoption at risk.   It is, of course, only fair that the local authority and/or adoption agencies should put their hands up, and accept their responsibility, in cases where those risks have materialised and adversely impact the lives of the adoptive child and family. It will probably always be the case that, when parents and carers  harm or take their children's lives. Local authorities are going to be accused and condemned for 'not having done anything', or 

  Probably having done some pragmatic rationalisation as to why he would be entitled to it then, and not now. But that was a few years away. By then he would have done some wageable work and pay some taxes and national insurance into the system. So he committed himself to finding a job, and initially had to braced himself to deal with the rejections arising from his conviction.  But, in time he did get several jobs as a sales person and began making good money.  Initially, in fact, for some considerable period of time, Kazaliwa would find working with his bosses and fellow workers quite, if not very challenging at times. He quite quickly equipped himself with the knowledge and skills he needed to do well in his sales jobs and excelled in performing them.  He became a very valuable employee, and not only made good money.  But he also benefitted from the opportunity these jobs gave him to meet new people, establish working relationships with them and socialised with them.  To be continue