The regular readers of my monthly meanders know that I try to finish off the post at the end of the month, send it for proofreading and post it within a day or two. Well, for the first time in a long time, this October / November edition is late. This is due to an unfortunate series of events.

I had virtually completed the blog post towards the end of last week. Instead of writing it as a standalone piece I had attached it to something else I was writing. Could I remember what it was? Not a chance! Eventually, after a great deal of searching and gnashing of teeth, I had to recognise it was both futile and frustrating to continue the hunt, and I needed to start again. Perhaps it may even be better and more interesting because of the false start. I have noticed this happens despite the absolute frustration and desperation of losing something.

The second upsetting of the apple cart was when, during my regular morning perambulation, I misjudged a step from the curb into the road. My left leg simply went from under me. A moment later I found myself lying in the gutter, admiring the clouds, with a searing pain up my leg, and, it has to be said, feeling very stupid. I would like to think that, by age 70, I should know how to walk, but evidently not.

It was absolute agony. My first thought was that I had snapped a tendon. After a minute or two the pain eased and I knew what I had done. It had happened before when I was running or playing rugby (touch rugby – not the violent version with tackles). By the evening, I knew the damage was a severely twisted ankle and pulled muscles in my calf.

I was getting over the worst of the pain, and I had reached the point where I had stopped whimpering. I was then contemplating crawling back to the flat – probably 400 meters of discomfort and indignity – when two people who had seen the accident came forward to help. To my surprise and relief one of them had the decency and kindness to drive me the 400 meters home.

Within a few days the ankle could bear weight but was, and is, still extremely swollen. I have been applying liberal quantities of ice and deep heat (alternatingly). I don’t fully understand how this works but it seems to be helping.

Two lessons from this: first, a personal note to self, look more closely at where you are putting your feet; second, to my surprise, people are willing to stop and help, and I have good reason to be very grateful for this.

I am watching the current interesting and potentially momentous geopolitical events. For me these are the recent election in Serbia; the potential for change in the Israeli government; the mid-term elections in the USA; and the South African local government elections.

I don’t feel qualified to comment on events in Serbia, other than to express a sense of relief that maybe the right-wing tide is in retreat. Perhaps, when the chips are down, European electorates do not want to contemplate the divisive and disruptive rule of nationalist parties who are unlikely to bring any form of peace and progress.

In most ways I am even less able to comment on the Israeli results. I think this is something which will take a long time to settle and we have to hope that it will happen with less extremism and more thought. At least there is the prospect of this happening, and I am not sure the present US interventions are helpful. We all need to have our fingers and our toes crossed in the hope that sanity will prevail and there will be some real changes. I cannot understand how the enmity between some elements of Palestinians and Israelis can continue, especially when it seems clear that there can be no winners, just more bloodshed, especially of civilians, and the leveling of the former Palestinian areas. Where will these poor people go?

The mid-term elections in America were indeed fascinating. I avidly read numerous articles in the Guardian. I think this is currently the only mainstream British paper that does not yet have a paywall.

In the articles and editorials most commentators appeared to suggest there would be change, or I suppose I should admit these are the ones I read (which may be an echo chamber). By the time this blog is posted, the results will almost all have come out. Voting day was Tuesday 3rd November and I am writing this on the 6th November. It has been an absolute triumph for the Democrats who almost swept the board.

Early votes were cast in the South African local government elections. The main polling day was Wednesday 4th November, which was declared a public holiday, to facilitate participation. The Democratic Alliance (DA) did well in many areas, particularly the bigger urban ones and the ANC did badly, even where they did not expect to. The theme of the local government will be coalitions with so many tiny parties picking up votes in local areas. At worst these coalitions will be very disruptive, at best people will recognise that they have power to make change; their votes do count; and that can only be good.

I must admit to having been naive about local government. It only recently dawned on me that people who win elections get paid; this money may be called sitting allowances or other fees. I discovered in my abortive foray into local politics in England that it is only the parish councilors who don’t get any money, everyone else does rather well.

Norfolk County Council provides a basic flat-rate allowance of £13,190 per annum for all members to cover time commitments, home use, and local travel. In addition, there are Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs): extra payments for significant additional duties (limited to a maximum of one SRA per member). The Cabinet Members get an extra £19,785 per year and the Chair gets a further £15,828 per year.

I know there are similar options for elected officials in South Africa. So, it is worth remembering that generally local politicians are not standing purely for power and to make a difference in their communities, but also for their livelihoods.