They say you only discover how well you understand something when you try to tell someone else. When the someone else is a scathing preteen, you discover it even fasterOn Sunday, I had heard that there would be a flashmob orchestra in Trafalgar Square, playing Mussorgsky’s Great Gate of Kiev, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I went along with two 12-year-olds and made all the promises you have to make to get two preteens to go anywhere with you (it won’t take long and it’s near an Itsu).Instead, we found a modest Stop the War rally with not a viola in sight – just Jeremy Corbyn speaking from a makeshift stage. “He just said: ‘War is bad because it kills people,’” my kid summarised – then, witheringly: “And this is your icon?” I explained that you don’t go to a demo for an original hypothesis. This was my entire childhood, standing in a crowd, listening to why war is bad, and so is poll tax. Also, “icon” is way too strong a word for my feelings about Corbyn, although I am glad to see him back in his happy place, saying determined, uncomplicated things to a small crowd.Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist Continue reading…
They say you only discover how well you understand something when you try to tell someone else. When the someone else is a scathing preteen, you discover it even faster
On Sunday, I had heard that there would be a flashmob orchestra in Trafalgar Square, playing Mussorgsky’s Great Gate of Kiev, in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I went along with two 12-year-olds and made all the promises you have to make to get two preteens to go anywhere with you (it won’t take long and it’s near an Itsu).
Instead, we found a modest Stop the War rally with not a viola in sight – just Jeremy Corbyn speaking from a makeshift stage. “He just said: ‘War is bad because it kills people,’” my kid summarised – then, witheringly: “And this is your icon?” I explained that you don’t go to a demo for an original hypothesis. This was my entire childhood, standing in a crowd, listening to why war is bad, and so is poll tax. Also, “icon” is way too strong a word for my feelings about Corbyn, although I am glad to see him back in his happy place, saying determined, uncomplicated things to a small crowd.
Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist