Identity Failure

One of the last acts of a violent year in Surrey was the beating death of a woman meeting her son at a hockey rink.  A tragedy for all concerned.  But what doesn’t help matters at all, in my opinion, is the constant and ubiquitous description of the victim by media of all types as “hockey mom” as if that is all that needed to be said about her.

I bet that is not how her family knew her, or her friends.  I’m sure she was a person with a variety of interests and skills and beliefs. But every single headline, in the press, on TV, and on radio, referred to her as the hockey mom victim. So that is the limited and limiting way in which she will be known.

The media should think a lot more deeply about the consequences of their own laziness.

Good morning world!

After staying up until one this morning, I was wakened by the sound of a baby crying at about five thirty. It is literally decades since that sound has disturbed my sleep.

I lay there listening to the baby steadily sob for about ten minutes; and then I guess it was picked up and hugged. But of course I couldn’t get back to sleep and, I don’t know about you, but if I lay awake in bed for half an hour or so I am guaranteed to want to get up and pee.  So I did that and then made tea and watched English soccer on TV.

Which is why I am still up, typing this, after I promised myself I would go back to bed as soon as I’d drunk my tea.

Good morning world!

Red Tulips 1

 

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