We've come a long long way together

It's been a while since I was on here. But I have a job. A job that keeps me busy so I hope you can understand and find your dossing on tinternet elsewhere. But today I thought I'd make a special effort because it's been exactly ten years since the Good Friday Agreement was made. 

Ten years?! My goodness, doesn't time fly when you're...nevermind. I remember it. Kind of. It was the day after our school formal and I remember the news was on all day with live reports from outside Stormont and the like. I honestly don't think I really understood what it was all about, there were always talks, talks about talks and declarations around. But nothing ever seemed to actually happen.

Even a quick look in my politics file from school is revealing. We had to keep a Political Diary. It was brilliant way to doss around the first 10 minutes or so of the lesson as we discussed the news of the day. I remember coming back from Easter and everyone laughing because we were saying that 'nothing really happened'. All I've got written down in my Political Diary is 'Stormont Agreement is reached'. (Didn't even get the name right!)

Today, coincidentally, I was teaching the Good Friday Agreement. I handed out the very document they agreed on. The moment was not lost on me. 

Of course there has been a lot packed in to the ten years, and no one has forgotten yet that for the best part of them there was no Assembly. 

But you've got to say that it's a whole lot better than it was.