…or doesn’t as the case may be ! The reason this sprung into my head was partly due to the purpose of my walk today – to deliver leaflets around our village informing residents of a programme of events for the year. I happen to be Chairman ( and no I’m not bothered that I’m not chairwoman, chairperson or anything else, chairman is fine ) …..don’t start me on all that ! I heard the other day , whether it’s true or not I can’t be sure, that a music artist who shall remain nameless has said “ they” will refuse to play in Manchester unless it changes its name. Dear Reader, please tell me it’s not true ….how on earth have we got here …and now look what it’s done , taken me completely off piste with this blog !
So I am the Chairman of a group called Oxspring Friends – who put on events throughout the year for residents in the village, and provide help with shopping etc to anyone who needs it. We have an event on the Coronation weekend to celebrate the day, and this will involve the crowning of a May King and May Queen. ( Don’t worry, I know where I’m going with this ….) One has to be very careful not to upset the children, so having a compétition to find the best is not advisable. I’ll come back to that but just so you can sleep at night, we have actually found a happy solution. All eligible children have been asked to put names into either the King or Queen hat and one name will be drawn from each . Therefore, we have not discriminated against boys being the Queen or girls being the King ……however, as it happens, we only have one name …a girl whose Mum was May Queen years ago …….
Back to where I was going …..children can’t win at school Sport’s Day anymore, because it is harmful to them apparently . Good grief, I lost all the time at anything sporty – yes it’s hard ( particularly if like me you never won anything at all, were always picked last for any team …..I could go on) but it teaches you resilience and so much more . Permission to digress ( again) – a friend of ours told me a tale of one of his sons. He ( the son) is a neuroscientist and is married to a psychoanalyst ( or a psycho something) – they have one child. Our friend at one point suggested when they put the child down for a nap, rather than rushing back to retrieve him the minute he cried , let him cry for a bit . Whoops wrong thing to say – our friend was informed in no uncertain terms that leaving babies crying causes brain damage …..
If that’s the case Dear Reader I should be sat rocking in a padded cell somewhere…..what with being a total sport’s failure ( and the rest), and the fact that as a baby I was fed, changed ( nappywise…I don’t want you to think I was changed for another baby) and winded and then left for four hours, crying or not before being fed again! ( whoa betide I disturb Woman’s Hour) Clearly, I am not brain damaged ….and whilst I would have preferred to have been brilliant at sports……losing taught me a lot and has enabled me to deal with life and reality. I’m afraid a lot of people are going to have a big shock when they realise this utopia they are brought up to believe exists, doesn’t exist.
On this very subject I was talking to a friend the other day….and she gave me a very interesting and sensible perspective. Her friend’s son is sporty and athletic but he is not academic . So when his headmaster informed school there were to be no races on Sport’s Day so no prizes – his Mum went into school and pointed out to the Head that her son’s wins would be on the sport’s field rather than in academia. She then asked the Head if all the class would be given the same grade in their GCSE’s – after all if no one is allowed to win surely that would be fair…….No response needed to that is there……
I’ll let you into a secret Dear Reader , at one of her sister’s parties this friend and I were to be found sitting on the floor , yours truly with a colander on her head 😂😂😂 Personally, I blame the punch 😜
Oh I nearly forgot ….my walk ! Well a higgledy piggledy one today on account of said leaflet delivery!
With that I’ll leave you in peace ….I’m walking tomorrow and Sunday and having my rest day on Monday . Tuesday will be my final walk. I’ll bring you up to date over the weekend but I have completed over 150 km. Thank you for all your support and lovely comments , they mean such a lot ! For those of you who want to donate ..go to my site caminoromero.com and on the title page there is a donate button.
Si thee…….
Camino Romero 