I was thinking a few days ago about the idea of the Blitz spirit, that is to say, the idea that during WWII, the British people (and I imagine in other countries too!) had a strong community spirit that motivated them to keep going.

Currently the state of the world is a bit rubbish, really. We have economic problems with a lot of people facing unemployment, religious and political strife to the point of riots and attacks (such as the Egyptian crisis) and people facing natural disasters such as the Australian floods and subsequent hurricane.

With all of this depressing news, one could argue it’s hard to keep one’s chin up. But I had a night one Saturday not long ago, where a group of us, all reasonably poor and having problems, ended up in one of our houses, playing a game, not needing to spend any cash, and having a good time.

It occurred to me that, like those in the 1940s, we, as a society, don’t need flashy technological wonders or huge piles of cash to ensure real happiness. Friends sticking together, communities working together, and bearing each other through the dark and difficult times, may possibly be some of the greatest things we can do for one another. If someone offered me a choice between an IPhone and a lazy evening with friends, I’d choose the friends any day. Apple can stick their IPhone somewhere else, thank you.

As Monty Python said, always look on the bright side of life…