Anita Mathias: Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

England: A Rhapsody

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I love England. I have now lived for at least 14 years each in three continents–Asia, America and Europe. If I could live anywhere I chose, I would choose England (as I have). (And if I could choose any English town to live in, I would choose Oxford–as I have.)

As I walked down the country lane outside my house, a cup of tea in hand, I saw a herd of cows, very attractive Guernseys, in our farmer-neighbour’s field. It was a beautiful bird-loud day. It could have been out of a Constable painting or a Dylan Thomas poem. Timeless England!

I read about 500 illegal immigrants living in tent cities in Calais, hoping to come to England. The writer explained why. He said, “Can you imagine 500 men, women and children sleeping rough in Dover?” The council would do something about it.

I thought of what V.S. Naipaul in The Enigma of Arrival calls “the curious humanity of the English state.”

I do love this country, warts and all! I love their sense of decency and fair play. I love the fact that the police prosecute for racist tweets, an everyday occurrence in other countries. I love that, in this country, calling someone a “bigot” is one of the worst things you can say, in the judgement of both accused and accuser.

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  2. Well it’s nice to see someone who’s contented for a change! So many English people would prefer to live somewhere hotter I think! But I asked my kids the other day if they could choose anywhere in the world to live where would they live, and they said, “Here”. So they obviously like it too 🙂 Oh and I love Constable paintings. When we go to California or Texas I always miss the natural greenery here.

    • Ah, in the winters, I love to visit warmer places, but yes, I do love living where I am!
      Wales is lovely too!

  3. Being of Scottish descent, I have always yearned to travel to Scotland, Ireland and England. Now that I have a neighbor who was born and raised in England, I would enjoy a trip to her area in Suffolk, near London to see this enchanting land she talks about. It is colder than where I live (in CA) and might be an adjustment but it is a dream nevertheless. But for now, God has placed contentment in my heart to remain in the USA. My dream of travelling to other lands will be as a reader who explores the culture, places and people for the time being.

    Beautiful “bird loud” days thrill my heart. Your England sounds delightful and your joy of living there uplifts your writing.

    • I can imagine how beautiful California is in January. I visited CA in December, occasionally, San Diego and LA, and remember walking on the beach on Christmas day and seeing seals (near San Diego). What beautiful weather. CA is wonderful!