As I moved forgotten objects out of cobwebby corners, I was puzzled to see small piles of sunflower seeds here and there, for our bird food is secured in metal bins and should be safe from rodents. Eventually my treasure hunt following the trail ended by a large, closed box, and I knew I needed to open it and confront whatever was there, something no doubt alive. I hesitated, for while I love wildlife I wondered what I might find. Reminding myself that it is better to know the truth than wonder all day what sort of creatures might be living in my garage, I opened the box, and found no animals, rather, more seeds which were from the heads of dried sunflowers I had left there months before.
The sunflowers had been intended for the birds, and I emptied the box with its contents outside for them, albeit a little late, and all was well; I believe the mice were long gone. However, the incident, trivial though it was, reminded me of the helpfulness of confronting reality and dealing with it, particularly in the context of the financial uncertainties in Europe and beyond. No-one, yet, has acknowledged publicly the true level of indebtedness there is in the world and so what the extent of the problem is – and officials are responding to events but not anticipating them. They are following the trails of seeds but are reluctant to look into the box they lead to…….it is time to see the truth, and to be truthful.]]>