Respect

Last night as I was just settling down to sleep I thought "I'll just see what's happening on the other side of the world" and I checked in to read my penfriend Beth's blog -
http//:elizabethkaplan.blogspot.com/

I found a series of very moving posts about the premature death of Jack Layton, leader of Canada's National Democratic Party. He had led his party to prime position to challenge the current Conservative government and he was the great hope of so many in a country which is by long tradition liberal, tolerant and egalitarian.

My first response was that I can't imagine that the UK would come out to show of respect and regret at the passing for any single politician. No-one since John Smith, briefly leader of the Labour Party who died suddenly of a heart attack in 1994, has been held in such universal high esteem.

Last night I wrote all of the above and then accidentally deleted it. Instead I tapped in a brief sentence about the passing of Jack Layton on my Facebook page (PennyJeanRea). This morning my son (TomSmith) replied "I'm still mourning John Smith". So, 17 years on, the good man is remembered by the next generation.

I hope they meet up - John and Jack - over that sunset horizon - and hatch a better plan for us.