Travelling on the train into Kings Cross to supervise my latest project, my fellow travellers and I were subjected to the very loud rantings of a middle-aged woman who was being verbally offensive and aggressive to other passengers. There is something quite frightening about being trapped in an enclosed space with someone who is quite clearly angry and, in this case although it was only 10.30am, drunk. Several young girls moved away down the carriage to escape and when asked to "please be quiet" by another older passenger she just upped the volume and ranted on mostly at an elderly gentleman who had the misfortune to be sitting opposite her. He surprised everyone by calmly engaging her in general conversation about the weather [always the first conversational topic in Britain] and then asking her where she was travelling to etc etc. She was as surprised as the rest of us and it put her off her stroke and in fact calmed her down much to everyone's relief.
The gentleman and I changed trains at the same station and we both walked through to an adjoining platform to board a tube train to continue our journeys. I congratulated him on his sensitive handling of the situation and he was just saying that it was still quite a relief to change trains when "the ranter" appeared by his side just as the tube train pulled into the station platform. The poor man just couldn't face any more and we both got on and off the tube train quickly leaving her inside no doubt about to destroy the peace for another carriage full.
Were her actions caused by a mental illness, her drinking or a bit of both?
Why are people so quick to anger these days? Road rage is frequently reported and only last week at Royal Ascot, no less, there was a fist fight reported. Whatever has happened to "turning the other cheek" or "live and let live"?
Wednesday 22 June 2011
Monday 6 June 2011
What's the attraction?
I wonder whether it is because I don't drink alcohol [the acidity in wine didn't agree with me and spirits tasted like bad cough medicine]that I have no comprehension of why young women and some not-so-young women, who should know better, think it is great to get absolutely plastered.
In today's lunch time edition of a TV chat show called "Loose Women" they were discussing the level of social drinking among young women. They were talking in part about the more recent practice of "Hen Nights" or "Hen Weekends Away" as the prospective bride's answer to the bridegroom's "Stag Night/Weekend".
I have always fought for equality - for a woman's right to achieve the career heights her abilities deserve, for the right to marry or not, for the right to have children or not. But to drink yourself senseless, vomit in the street, and behave appallingly just to match the blokes??? To me this is just another example of the dumbing down of society generally. Why aspire to be equal to men - why not aspire to be better?
In today's lunch time edition of a TV chat show called "Loose Women" they were discussing the level of social drinking among young women. They were talking in part about the more recent practice of "Hen Nights" or "Hen Weekends Away" as the prospective bride's answer to the bridegroom's "Stag Night/Weekend".
I have always fought for equality - for a woman's right to achieve the career heights her abilities deserve, for the right to marry or not, for the right to have children or not. But to drink yourself senseless, vomit in the street, and behave appallingly just to match the blokes??? To me this is just another example of the dumbing down of society generally. Why aspire to be equal to men - why not aspire to be better?
Thursday 2 June 2011
The Joys of Reading
I was commenting on my other blog "Life after Sixty" on my concerns over the reports of the drop in reading skills of today's schoolchildren.
A thought to all you Wise Old Birds out there - if, like me, you remember teaching your children basic reading [at least] before they even went to Infant School then perhaps we could still do it.
There are Volunteer Schemes run by many schools to find people who will work with individual children who are having problems learning to read. I know when The Daughter had a top Advertising Agency job her Company donated her time for a hour once a week to volunteer at a local primary school for this very purpose.
We all have busy lives whether still in full-time work or not, but this is such an important issue. I intend making enquiries of local schools to see if I can help - will you?
A thought to all you Wise Old Birds out there - if, like me, you remember teaching your children basic reading [at least] before they even went to Infant School then perhaps we could still do it.
There are Volunteer Schemes run by many schools to find people who will work with individual children who are having problems learning to read. I know when The Daughter had a top Advertising Agency job her Company donated her time for a hour once a week to volunteer at a local primary school for this very purpose.
We all have busy lives whether still in full-time work or not, but this is such an important issue. I intend making enquiries of local schools to see if I can help - will you?
Friday 27 May 2011
Mobile Madness
I think the next stage will be mobile telephone implants into the ear drum!
Why do people still persist in driving with one hand while chatting into a hand-held mobile phone? Serious accidents just waiting to happen.
Similarly what conversation can be so important that you cross a road [we are now talking pedestrians] holding a young child by the hand or pushing pram or buggy whilst chatting into your hand-held mobile? No-one can be giving full concentration to the road dangers in these circumstances.
However did we manage to communicate before the "mobile" - oh yes, we met people, spoke face to face [there's a novel idea], sat down comfortably and used a land line perhaps?
Why do people still persist in driving with one hand while chatting into a hand-held mobile phone? Serious accidents just waiting to happen.
Similarly what conversation can be so important that you cross a road [we are now talking pedestrians] holding a young child by the hand or pushing pram or buggy whilst chatting into your hand-held mobile? No-one can be giving full concentration to the road dangers in these circumstances.
However did we manage to communicate before the "mobile" - oh yes, we met people, spoke face to face [there's a novel idea], sat down comfortably and used a land line perhaps?
Monday 23 May 2011
Question: Do you care which footballer has used a "super injunction" to try to stop details of his affair[s] being made public in what used to be called a "kiss and tell" newspaper article?
Frankly, I don't!
All this media discussion on TV, radio, newspapers etc etc about the unfairness of those with money being able to buy extra privacy is a load of nonsense. Twitter names and shames without any real evidence at all and no-one can stop the internet sites doing whatever they like and unfortunately too many people still believe "there is no smoke without fire". It seems that even the Broadsheets [supposedly serious newspapers not tabloids] will splash an incriminating story on the front page and then when it is proved to be false, the retraction and begrudging apology appears at the bottom of a column on an inside page.
Call me old-fashioned, and many would, but I have very little sympathy for this girl [and others like her] who has been prevented from openly naming names. She has made it clear that he is just the latest in the "famous" people she has "dated" [the speech marks are deliberate]. She knew he was married and yet entered into an affair willingly. When things didn't turn out the way she had hoped [namely he leaves his wife and maybe kids] and she doesn't become the new wife/partner whatever she has the right to make as much money as possible by selling her story.
What do you think?
Frankly, I don't!
All this media discussion on TV, radio, newspapers etc etc about the unfairness of those with money being able to buy extra privacy is a load of nonsense. Twitter names and shames without any real evidence at all and no-one can stop the internet sites doing whatever they like and unfortunately too many people still believe "there is no smoke without fire". It seems that even the Broadsheets [supposedly serious newspapers not tabloids] will splash an incriminating story on the front page and then when it is proved to be false, the retraction and begrudging apology appears at the bottom of a column on an inside page.
Call me old-fashioned, and many would, but I have very little sympathy for this girl [and others like her] who has been prevented from openly naming names. She has made it clear that he is just the latest in the "famous" people she has "dated" [the speech marks are deliberate]. She knew he was married and yet entered into an affair willingly. When things didn't turn out the way she had hoped [namely he leaves his wife and maybe kids] and she doesn't become the new wife/partner whatever she has the right to make as much money as possible by selling her story.
What do you think?
Monday 16 May 2011
Extreme Parenting
OK - First genuine WOB posting.
When did it become the norm for children to rule the roost?
This morning having a quick cup of tea before coming into the office I caught part of a "Super Nanny" programme on Extreme Parenting. The mother she was trying to help had virtually bankrupted herself pandering to her children. In particular she had allowed the youngest girl [I think around 8 or 9 yrs perhaps younger] to become a monster. This child had a wardrobe of designer outfits [£3 - 4k in value], spoke to her mother like dirt, did nothing around the house and was, in fact, the "pack leader" who everyone had to obey!! Even Super Nanny was horrified. Frankly I had better things to do, so turned off the TV and came to work.
Maybe this was a very extreme case but, to a lesser degree, haven't we all noticed that discipline [and I don't mean "spare the rod - spoil the child"], rules, boundaries on behaviour etc. are becoming rarer and rarer. Frankly this kind of parenting is just as much child abuse as the physical or emotional abuse that is always condemned.
Thoughts please....
When did it become the norm for children to rule the roost?
This morning having a quick cup of tea before coming into the office I caught part of a "Super Nanny" programme on Extreme Parenting. The mother she was trying to help had virtually bankrupted herself pandering to her children. In particular she had allowed the youngest girl [I think around 8 or 9 yrs perhaps younger] to become a monster. This child had a wardrobe of designer outfits [£3 - 4k in value], spoke to her mother like dirt, did nothing around the house and was, in fact, the "pack leader" who everyone had to obey!! Even Super Nanny was horrified. Frankly I had better things to do, so turned off the TV and came to work.
Maybe this was a very extreme case but, to a lesser degree, haven't we all noticed that discipline [and I don't mean "spare the rod - spoil the child"], rules, boundaries on behaviour etc. are becoming rarer and rarer. Frankly this kind of parenting is just as much child abuse as the physical or emotional abuse that is always condemned.
Thoughts please....
Saturday 14 May 2011
NOT GRUMPY - WORDLY WISE
I have decided that I am not prepared to be labelled a "Grumpy old woman" just because I have the occasional [OK, perhaps more than occasional] rant about current events, politicians, anti-social behaviour, dumbing down etc etc etc. I believe there are many mature woman who are merely bringing their wisdom gained over the years to bear on the 21st century.
So this blog has been started for my contempories to comment without fear of being labelled "old-fashioned" and "grumpy" on anything and everything.
We are going to be WISE OLD BIRDS ON THE WEB or WOBS ON THE WEB - for short.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
So this blog has been started for my contempories to comment without fear of being labelled "old-fashioned" and "grumpy" on anything and everything.
We are going to be WISE OLD BIRDS ON THE WEB or WOBS ON THE WEB - for short.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
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