Ian Galloway

The now pronounced downwardly carol on the branch of my Christmas tree tells me the holiday season is moving on. Transitioning from high point of Xmas in today’s date that marks endings and beginnings, edging our way from 2021 towards a new year. Yet another step into an uncertain future, marked by the stoic present threat of Covid, and by the hope might be lie beyond it.

The sight of the young woman of reputation of the best gymnast in the world unable, at times to perform at Olympic stage due to evident inner distress, made me want to reach across the world to give her a sympathetic virtual hug. It was another reminder that human beings, no matter how skilled, finely tuned, remain fragile creatures.

Living as I do, close to the Euro fans zone in Glasgow green, made even easier to be caught up when atmosphere of eager anticipation that seem to infect so many of us yesterday and bought a sense of common purpose. If passionate desire alone shape the result, it would be a very different. Yesterday was also a reminder of the world we are still missing, not just football but in so many aspects of community life. Singing, for example, be it at football or in church, one of the ways we express ourselves and our belonging together that's been painfully lacking under Covid rules.

Many of us might in need of bit of laughter, however, I remember as a child in school being in the receiving end of some fairly unpleasant prank in the form of April Fool joke, perpetrated by my peers, often involving sticky mess. Feeling the foolishness on my side was match by one of the superior glee for the prankster. Glorying in their annal permission, to inflict minor misery on others with impunity. This year the 1st of April coincided with Maundy Thursday, reaching the business end of holy week in Christian calendar. Indeed one theory for the ancient origin of April Fool's Day as that, it comes at time of the year, when Jesus was arrested and cruelly mocked by his capturers, as they prepare to do away with him and enjoyed revelling in their power.

Same feels right now in terms of our lengthening journey through pandemic. Still feeling our way in the midst of uncertain territory. "We can't see too far ahead, because virus not allows us." Hard words to hear, if you're desperate for something certain to cling on to.

It felt like a significant moment when heard the news of 1st phase of vaccine being rolling out. Significant, yes of course, but also time of our lives often in the shadow of COVID moves from months into years, it makes no immediate difference to anything while others remain unprotected, and human contact still at risk of all prospect.