Resentment.

Oops, the blog I spent an hour writing yesterday morning has got lost so here's a spontaneously written one created here online, on another subject.

'Resentment' may not be the best title to drag you in, but read on, for we each fall in to this trap. Many of us see others as the enemy and we too are seen as that. Not that there are obvious wars going on around most of us.

After the First Word War, defeated Germans were victims of justifiable anger from the European states they had wrought havoc within, and was fined heavily. Germany's consequent economic struggle created the monstrous Nazi era. This happens all the time. Those seen as unworthy seethe with resentment and this gradually builds up - take 9/11 and the past 15 years of anti-West terrorist activity, which includes ISIS. We, which includes the rich Arab states, ignored the needs of ordinary people in the Middle East, resentment built up, and when people are resentful they often find solace in extremist views, be it Communism, Nazism or Wahabi Islam. and Common-ism".

What's Commonism? Well, take this supposedly 'Very friendly" village we live in. In a public statement two weeks ago the Parish Council announced, "Parking on the Common is unlawful." This instantly created tension. A number of those who don't have parking problems because they live in larger properties in the lower village saw the Common-side lot, who have parked by or on the Common for decades, even a hundred years, as blowing things out of proportion for asking, "Where then do we park?"

The reasonable Common-side residents were scolded for, "Causing trouble; Being emotional; Ignoring the facts; Generating rumours," the exact words levied against them. These words ignore the situation, disregard history, assume parking is actually illegal and they has created resentment, whose close cousin is anger.

Trying to calm things on both sides, with only three days before being able to present it to the next PC meeting, after hasty research into the matter I wrote a letter to the PC. Hopefully both sides will avoid boiling up resentment by arriving at a consensus. My letter was put forward until next month's meeting.

By writing it, I have been guilty of creating resentment in others. Each time we see people as, "Not in our camp", we damn them, however subtly, and feeling ignored by us, resentment builds inside them.

I can feel resentment building inside me as I write here about this parking issue, but allowing it to grow into anger is not skilful. Stepping aside from emotion, we see things more clearly, take issue with the issue, not those who hold the issue up as a shield or as a battering ram.