I’m pretty much an intro­vert and it took me decades to speak up for myself and against injustice. But a cou­ple of weeks ago I really had enough. In my regular haunt in Lazimpat, where I eat at least twice a week, mainly break­fast but also lunch, a woman came in, wrapped up in a down jacket, hood up, sunglasses on, carrying two huge bags of shop­ping. She sat by the window so I didn’t hear what she ordered but I did heard her ask for water, then a spoon, then the wifi password—okay so far; pretty basic stuff. She continued to ask for a whole list of other, pretty unnecessary, items from the busy staff. When her food arrived my attention was drawn again by her loud voice. The food was just ‘not right’! This was ‘not the way to make pizza at all’. The pizza had too much cheese on it! Well, first, who says this? Ever? Second, why order pizza if you don’t like cheese? The waitress offered to get her something else. In reply to her question, the waitress said, no, she would not have to pay for the second dish, only the pizza. When the second dish arrived, again she was shouting loudly across the room that she didn’t like it.

She suggested the chef be sacked to let ‘one of the many unemployed in Nepal take his job’. One of the many, who ‘could make much better food than him’! The young waiter and waitress were looking quite helpless now and this was all I could take. I marched over to her table and told her, “if you don’t like the food, fine, it’s down to personal taste, but there is no need to announce loudly across the restaurant. You could go and discuss with the chef; why blame the waiters?” I also pointed out that the food was fabulous, as the many regu­lar customers would agree. Quietly she paid up and left the restaurant still muttering that the food was not good. I later asked the waitress if she had paid. Yes, but only for the cheaper second dish.

While it was easy for me to challenge one woman, it is harder to stand up to the big bullies in this world

Somehow she was the epit­ome of what is wrong with the world at the moment. Those who shout loudest and who assume a mantel of control and confidence often get away with a lot of nonsense, while the rest of us look helplessly on. The world is watching the unfolding (or perhaps crumbling) of the latest nonsense coming out of the White House. One man is shouting louder than others, taking control of things he is not qualified for other than by ceremonial office. There is very little anyone else can do except quietly down-tools, and make what is probably no more than a symbolic gesture.

Across the Atlantic in the UK we watch while the politicians fight among themselves as to who has the best ability to take over the playground, aka Brexit, negotiations. Of course, I could go on to list many more examples of bullies flexing their muscles while we regular folks are in despair wondering what the outcome will be. It does seem that the only person who may benefit from all this mayhem is another larger than life playground bully looking on from afar, but seeing ample potential to step in once the other kids exhaust themselves with all their infighting. Isn’t this the way con­flict starts?

While it was easy for me to challenge one woman and stand up for those who were, momentarily, unable to speak for themselves, it is harder to stand up to the big bullies in this world. Especially if they have the power and abil­ity to take away our liberty through muzzling the press, imprisoning us, or replacing us with their cronies.