Death, Taxes and the Queen

“Tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes” The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock 1716

For many the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II will have very little impact on their immediate day to day lives. For others she will have been mourned as if she was close family. In an ever changing world she has been a constant in many peoples lives for decades.

So many changes

Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Britain on Wednesday the 6th February 1952, when the then Princess Elizabeth learned of her fathers passing. During her reign the UK had 16 Prime Ministers, Australia had 17 Prime Ministers, and America had 14 Presidents.

The world was still recovering from WWII in 1952. Cars, TV’s and Washing Machines were not common. Singin’ in the rain starring Gene Kelly was at the movies. I Love Lucy was on the TV. Ernest Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was in book stores. Mr Potato Head was in toy stores. Microwaves the size of refrigerators were available for the cost of 1/10th of a house.

Elvis, Commercial Plane flights, Home Computers, Mobile Phones, were all still yet to happen.  So for many regardless of her impact in their day to day lives she remained a constant. Yet even for her the other constant death would eventually come knocking. So what is left now that Charles is King?

Another King

The face on money of commonwealth countries will change. Though the manipulation of the worlds currencies will undoubtedly continue.  The constant I am most reassured by in our ever changing world is the one the has reigned through all the Prime Ministers, Presidents, Kings and Queens. The Alpha and Omega has seen every leader of every people group come and go. Whether they served their people or made their people serve them they all at the end of their time here on earth had an audience with their creator.

I wonder who would suffer culture shock more; someone travelling from 2022 to 1952 or someone travelling from 1952 to 2022. So much has changed in my lifetime and I’m a lot younger than the Queen was. With so much of what was considered science fiction when the Queen was still a Princess now reality, I ponder where as a civilisation we are headed. We can travel, communicate and transact around the globe with ease. Yet we are also jailing doctors, teachers, pastors and journalists who speak the truth. Schools are not a safe place for our children and the media is so biased it would make a communist country proud.

I am all too aware that despite the “free” country that I believed I grew up in, that each article I write could easily be my last. Yet I know I must continue to write the truth to encourage those already awake to the truth, and in the hope that my words might wake a few more soldiers for this war we are undoubtedly in.

Use your life wisely

So next time you find yourself grieving the loss of a loved one, or the lost innocence of the world just remember how temporary our time here is. We can use it to help, or harm others. We can spend what little time we have left here getting to know the King of Kings or wait to meet a stranger when our time here is up. We can focus on ourselves or live a live serving others. Who will benefit from your life today?

“We must keep alive that courageous spirit of adventure that is the finest quality of youth; and by youth I do not just mean those who are young in years; I mean too all those who are young in heart, no matter how old they may be.” Queen Elizabeth II’s first Christmas speech 1952

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Neville Hiatt was the 2020 Press Services International Tronson Senior Writers Award Winner for Australia. His previous posts for can be read here.

He spent a decade working for Radio Stations before his career was intermissioned by someone in a hurry to get home from work. For more of his award winning creativity visit http://nevillehiatt.com.

He also blogs for http://altcoincollege.com/covering the way cryptocurrencies and blockchain are changing our world.