Brexit reflections.

I have completed my Masters in Fine Art in the autumn of 2018. I have been asked: How does it feel to have finished? And I say: Great, a sense of achievement and relief as I don't have deadlines any longer and now I can write whatever I want on my blog (so I might be reviewing more films); but uncertainty due to Brexit has continued throughout the two years in which I have completed my Masters.

Many people don't know where to position themselves, both British and Europeans alike.

Three British friends of mine who used to live here, have moved to Europe: in order to be able to get a  European passport. Others living here don't know what to do, these are Remainers, they are deeply unhappy about leaving the EU, they feel European so they have been discussing whether to move abroad in case of a no deal Brexit. The Leavers are unhappy as well, as nothing is happening fast enough for them, and they feel betrayed by their own government; they want to pull the plug and regain sovereignty. Both Leavers and Remainers are unhappy with how things are going, for completely different reasons, some don't speak to each other any longer.

Some of my European friends here managed to get British citizenship as they have been worried about being sent back. Everybody is trying to protect themselves the best they can in different ways, in different circumstances. Some people don't know where they belong anymore.

During the Christmas period, on top of buying presents I was also stocking up on long term food incase of a no deal after it was discovered that the Government had paid millions to a ferry company that didn't have any ships.  Just today Parliament voted down extra money for the Government to prepare for exit with no deal…Things change daily in the news but not in people's lives.

All of this mess started with the financial crisis in 2008 and consequently years of austerity, job instability, lack of jobs and cuts to essential services in most areas (transport, police, education, libraries) that has affected a lot of people, pushing some people further into poverty, desperation and homelessness.  The economy is run by London but many areas outside of London don't see the benefit of it, hence Brexit.

There has been an increase in violent crimes, most recently a random murder at a train station. On top of this the migration crisis caused by wars and poverty abroad and the poor response to this  internationally combined with terrorist attacks, it is really a toxic cocktail.

People  have been killing themselves a lot lately here in England, it's become a regular thing hearing someone jumped in front of a train or from a building, it's happening so often that a minister for suicide has been appointed, I think we are the only country to have one…

Not long ago I saw a young woman who was trying to jump from the top of a building, she was standing right at the end of the building, a lot of people were taking photographs of her which I thought was appalling. The police were very efficient and moved us all backwards and cordoned off the whole area, I think they didn't want anybody witnessing her death close up. A friend of a friend of mine is receiving counselling after someone jumped in front of her while she was shopping inside a shopping centre in London, landing at her feet not on top of her. Now she is scared to go inside shopping centres or indeed outside of the house. We are not going through normal times.

I have noticed people getting angry over nothing in the street, shouting at each other or getting into arguments on public transport like never before. In some areas the transport has been atrocious lately with trains constantly majorly delayed, worst than ever I can remember, isolating people with no cars in their own areas  by drastically cutting the amount of transport available per day. In my friend's area they only get three buses per day and no trains?!

I have been meditating regularly recently for longer periods of time, with liberating and calming effect  and I have been busy drawing and painting. Keeping positive, exercising going about my life as best as I can but I still feel a sense of uneasiness, it comes and goes, I am just aware of it but I don't indulge in it. My friends say they feel the same at times.

So the Christmas holidays were a really good break from all of the above, I was invited to several Christmas lunches, dinners and events, it was great to be able to catch up with friends during the holiday period and have some fun. The end of the holidays and we are back to Brexit and what is going to happen next? An exhausting process but will Parliament actually agree to anything???

Words come under copyright Mirta Imperatori 2019.
If you are a magazine or newspaper and you want me to write an article for you please contact me.
I can be contacted on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/mirtaimperatori