Did you see the interview with Rushi Sunak when he complained, that as a child they didn't have Sky?
The interviewer had asked him, had his family suffered any hardships Rushi was taken unawares and looked embarrassed and answered 'lots of things' several times repeating just that. But pushed to answer something specific, he said that his family couldn't afford Sky, when he was growing up. His father was a GP and his mother was a pharmacist running their own chemists, and they had put their money into paying for private education for himself and his sister.
Sky TV!!!! When there are people who can't afford to eat and pay their bills? One of Dh's daughter's works for the Charity, 'Christians Against Poverty.' And she has said its difficult not to cry listening to some people, who through no fault of their own, now are not able to afford to live in their own homes, because the costs of energy, and household costs mean their salaries no longer cover the costs.
So I had no sympathy for Rushi Sunak, but last evening while chatting to my eldest son on the phone, he could see the other side of the coin. 'Rushi is 10 years younger than me,' he said, 'and at that point in time, everyone of his age group had Sky, so as a young boy, he would have felt he had missed out, because they didn't have Sky.'
He went on to say that he could remember when he was desperate for roller skates, because all his friends had some. He felt he was missing out because he didn't have any. But he had some a few days later as my Aunty had sent some money for him.
And at the same time I bought him a quality pair of football boots. Albeit second hand, they didn't look warn and were very, very nice, he loved them.He went on to explain that when you're young and everyone else has the latest toy, it feels as though you are the only one without the toy. I love the way he says to me 'Mum, you have to realise some people value some things, you haven't even thought about.' Which is very true, I haven't lost my little Welsh Chapel ideas, so a bit narrow and I'm not in the real world some days.
And I didn't have this problem when I was young, because being a War baby, lots of children were like me and we played with what we had. As a matter of interest, when roller skates were the thing to have, when I was about 10, my aunty bought me some and my other aunty made me a pleated skirt to wear. But I was hopeless and spent a lot of time on my bottom, rather than skating!
So I feel I need to listen to two sides of stories and be a more understanding.. but I bet Rushi's parents didn't have to go without food, so their children could eat!
What's your point of view?
Chrisxx