The Canal

Today my son was only in school for the morning. So in the afternoon we headed off to the city centre. We first took a walk along part of the canal. It was freezing, and at times there was a blizzard. The water levels are very high, but still in the canal at the moment. The river has flooded lower banks where the trees are, but still very much contained in the city centre. But there is still a great deal of water inland to come our way, and more rain forecast. 

We stopped off in the Tiled Hall - for cake - and then took a wander around the library. The stairwell is really quite something. Then it was into the Town Hall to look at the Holocaust Exhibition - the stories of the survivors who made it to Leeds. Some of the stories were really frightening. While some had neighbours who helped, others had neighbours who were ostracising them well before the Nazi's really started their plans. One in particularly had been out all night during Kristelnacht. Then there was the young lad who was found in Belsen weighing 4 stones, aged 17. Reading things like that always makes me worry when I hear people casually denigrating another group of people, for whatever reason, as 'other'. I fear the rise of 'otherness' in behaviours and where it could lead to, and I feel angry at those who perpetuate the myth of 'otherness' for their personal political gain. Real success comes from understanding how we can all help and learn from each other.