Yesterday, I went on a rally for Parliamentary Reform. On a grey and drizzly afternoon, we joined a group of people in Trafalgar Square who were pushing to change the system, in the hope of ensuring that all voices could be heard.

This is something that matters a lot to me.

Spurred into action by an indignant anger – and propelled through my discomfort of changing the day’s agenda by a sense that I should put my feet where my mouth was, I am still tingling from the excitement – and have learnt as much about myself as I have about Parliamentary Reform.

This is what I mean about recovery taking place in context.

This is why it’s important for me, every now and again, to take a deep breath and say, “yes, I’ll come, I’d like to do that” – even if it means that my lunch will have to shift back a time-slot, or I do something that I wouldn’t normally do –

Because I am richer for the experience, I think; and I have learnt some things about myself – and other people – that I didn’t previously know.

Like the fact that loud noises and crowds don’t need to be threatening, when the intention is good and the connection really felt.

Or, that it is empowering to stand up for your beliefs and take ownership of them, rather than waiting – as I so often do – to gain approval for an opinion, or check that it will go down well.

Because the loud speaker wasn’t very loud and it was hard to compete against the traffic and morris dancers, we left Trafalgar Square and traipsed down, towards the river – past the Horse Guards and the gates to Downing Street – heading towards the first port of call.

A group of young and inspiring campaigners led the way and we followed, purple clad and banner waving: babies in buggies, the old, the young, the singles, the holding hands, families, friends – and those just making a point. Through stopped traffic and past the landmarks of London, we ambled; and, I felt, in a way that I rarely feel, strangely engaged – and connected – and part of what was going on.

We reached Smith Square and, even though the excitement was building and I am normally scared of people, the atmosphere was friendly – and positive – and the message was not lost by a surge of anger, or buried under the hype. It was, instead, inspiring to see how many people really cared; and, I didn’t realise, until the crowd started to disburse, that the sense of shared commitment, had somehow suspended my usual fear –

It is important, I think, to have something to fight for.

Not in angry sense of the word – but just because I didn’t really use to care.

Tags: getting out there, re-connecting, self discovery

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 9th, 2010 at 11:03 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.