Human nature

My attention has been drawn today to two news stories,which show two very different sides of human nature.

The first was the story of Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, who threw himself onto a grenade in Afghanistan in an attempt to save the lives of his comrades. He survived, and has been awarded the George Cross.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7521221.stm


The second story was the story of Anne Darwin, found guilty of fraud after helping her husband fake his death, then claimed the insurance, and moved to Panama where the couple started a life together. Bad enough until you realise she led her sons to believe that their father was dead, despite the fact he was living in a secret cubby hole in their home whilst they mourned his loss.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/7520803.stm


Human nature, the magnificent and the sad.

save, save, save!

I sat and wrote a post this evening, based on my day pondering an article in The Times today entitled "50 'wish you'd been there' moments " I then discussed the events I wish I'd witnessed, previewed to make sure the spelling and grammar was acceptable- and lost it all. Lesson for today: save, save, save.

As for my 'wish I'd been there' moments....another time. I'm too cross with myself just now :-)

bother, bother, bother

...such was the cry of one of my (once) very small charges, Joel. When anything went wrong for him, he would mutter 'bother, bother, bother' very softly. If the situation proved critical, we might be treated to an 'OH.....' prefacing the cry of despair. I've employed the phrase several times today. I despise incompetence; before I left home this morning I had conversations with two organisations who had failed to deliver services they had promised, failure due entirely to their inefficiency.

This evening I was playing around online,and went hunting for news of my favourite building on the planet, currently under threat: Battersea Power Station. Unused for years, victim of several failed attempts to rejuvenate the area, it falls slowly into disrepair. Concrete rot is damaging the iconic chimneys. Looking for word on the latest bid to redevelop, I came across the fact that a public consultation meeting takes place in London tomorrow- with a tour of the building included for those who attend. Too late.

A case of 'OOOOOOOOOHHHHH bother, bother, bother'.

hey ho!

Thou shalt not covet (i)

I treated myself to one of those "interiors/you too could live like this if you got your act together and somehow managed to raise an unattainable amount of money and were in hock until your heirs pay off your debts" magazines yesterday. I know I shouldn't, because at the moment life feels so uncertain, with so much going on and little resolved. However, occasionally it is pleasant to look, appreciate...and covet. It's not even big things which get me. I read one makeover by a lady who lives in the town most of my father's ancestors come from. Such is my desperation to "return" there, and my feelings of one with the place, I have seriously considered buying a beach hut, and living in it year round. Anyhow, this lady had moved into the town on a whim, paid a vast amount to buy one of the fisherman's houses overlooking the sea, renovated and decorated on a huge budget, and displayed it for the world to see. My resentment was almost at fever pitch until I saw the item which sent me over the edge.

Several different branches of my family tree were original part owners of the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company. And so, when I saw this, all I could think was 'I want one'. Envy is a disconcerting trait. My waking thoughts today have been focussed solely in this item.

awestruck

I am, frankly, in awe of women (in particular) who lead busy and productive lives as wives, mothers, grannies, aunts, daughters, nieces, best friends, care givers, workers and employers, and yet who still find time to blog. I am in awe of their ability to think coherently and then express themselves in such a way that I think 'oh my'. I am envious of the skills they display, and their commitment to share. Once upon a time I had original thoughts, the ability to communicate the same, and the confidence to express the same. If a talent is not used, we are told, it is lost; so welcome to my initial faltering attempts to regain that which I once had.

"Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength" -Betty Friedan