A is for Africa Alive!

Africa Alive! is one of our favourite zoos.  Formerly known as Suffolk Wildlife Park, it was purchased in 1991 by the owners of Banham Zoo, and both sites now form part of the Zoological Society of East Anglia, a registered charity.

The idea was to create an animal park close to the original zoo, without having to transfer animals over too long a distance. There are lions, giraffes, rhinos, cheetahs, hunting dogs and many more animals and birds, all from the African continent.

It is situated off the A12 at Kessingland, 2 miles (3 km) south of Lowestoft, in Suffolk. The park is a firm favourite with my family.

A-Z: Places To Go, People To See

It's that time again. August is just around the corner, and that's when I finally get a chance to drag myself away from the computer keyboard.

I always strive to allot some quality time to be with my family during this summer break. So, rather than not post anything, I like to use this opportunity to set myself a challenge - during August, to post an alphabetical listing on a particular topic. A, through to Z...

This year it's a list of memorable places, all of which are dotted around the United Kingdom. These are all places that I've been fortunate to visit over the years, to see with my own eyes. I hope some of these may be new to you, places well worth visiting

Have a terrific summer. I've got places to go, people to see...

Don't you know that you're toxic?

Some people seem to be blissfully unaware of the negative impact that they have. Or perhaps, they do, and they simply don't care.

They spread chaos, seemingly going out of their way to upset others, to 'push their buttons'. It's a laugh, they say. But I don't find it funny any more. Get me on a bad day, and I'd be quite vocal, I'd tell you that I'm quite fed up with it.

There's a name for these sorts of people. They call them toxic.

However, on pondering this for a while, I've come to the conclusion that it’s not actually that the person is toxic. And labelling them that way isn't helping...

It's the way they behave, their relationship with you that is the problem. It's the way that they seem to create drama, to manipulate or control others. Their choice of words, of actions

God give me wisdom, to deal with these people appropriately... and lovingly.

Why Are You Angry?

I'm afraid I have to come back to that horrible subject again.

The subject? Anger.

And I keep asking myself the question - why is it that I keep finding myself coming back to this topic so often in this blog? What have I still to learn? What piece of the jigsaw have I yet to find?

Now, I know that some people think anger is simply a violent and explosive outburst.

Not usually for me. In my experience it's more inwards, a seething caldron of negativity. It festers, it lies there dormant, just under the surface. If I blow, it's usually after a few hours (even days!) fuming quietly to myself. How apt is the phrase, "The straw that breaks the camel's back." How horrible, if you're the one laying the straw...

I read the following quote today:

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

There’s a truth here.

So what am I angry at, at the moment?

* The tragic loss of a young life
* people who I know well who have lost their jobs in a recent reorganisation. I'm sad for them, going to miss them... 
* my own experience of what must be "survivor's guilt" as I still retain my job
* strong negative comments posted on Facebook from some close friends which threaten to pull me down. Why do they post such hateful things?
* thoughtless acts by people who should know better...

One way that people have recommended that I deal with this sort of anger is to "detach yourself from the emotion of anger itself... switch off and wait until the anger dissipates...."

Sorry, that doesn't work for me. I've tried it. It just leaves me numb. To all feelings, pleasure or pain...

I need to rid myself of the anger, not just the feelings. Praying into this tonight...