Saturday 14 February 2009

A Tragedy Too Awful to Imagine

The concept of being in the right place at the right time or just the opposite has taken on a completely new meaning with the news of the death in a plane crash of a woman whose husband died on 9/11.

Beverley Eckert was on the Continental flight that crashed into a house in New York state. All aboard and one man in the house perished in a fiery inferno. She was on her way to inaugurate a scholarship in her husband's memory at the high school where the two met.

The newspaper article I read didn't say whether the couple had children. But don't you just wonder at the complete injustice and bad luck and unfairness of it all?

Also over my breakfast coffee I read about the 13-year-old boy in the UK who is now a dad. He impregnated his 15-year-old girlfriend when he was only 12. He is four feet tall and shows few signs of puberty. Experts say it's extremely rare for this to happen. I wonder if Chantelle, his girlfriend (and I didn't make her name up), perhaps had a bit on the side with maybe another 15-year-old? Again, the article didn't state if any tests had been done to confirm this boy is indeed the father.

This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "toy boy."

I haven't written much of late because my mind has been a whirlwind of conflict and questions. I want -- I ache -- for some sort of peace and calm in my life, for easy solutions and answers to be found, for resolution of long-term conflicts. I question my role in these conflicts, I wonder if I sound too whiny or appear too needy. While this interior monologue goes on, I can't write. I can't organise my thoughts. But while the inside may be a mess, the outside is looking up.

The plan to buy a business is starting to move ahead, with due diligence on the cards very soon. It's scary and exciting all in one. But at least it's some sort of movement beyond the slump that hubby and I have fallen into.

Finally, I would like to point out that within this post are several commas, apostrophes, and full stops (periods). I know where to place these because I was taught where to place them. In the UK there is a movement afoot to ban these from government signs. I think we need to rise up against the tyranny of mis-education (or missed education). SAVE THE APOSTROPHE! It's an endangered species.

15 comments:

softinthehead said...

Hear, hear! Let's stop always going to the lowest common denominator, instead let's try and raise up rather dumb down. Good luck with the business - looking forward to hearing all about it when you are ready. :)

DJ Kirkby said...

Chopper and I were talking about the shcking trajedy of that woman's death last nigth and the irony of it (is irony the right term?). Also I very much suspect that there will be DNA tests done once the baby is born as it is much easier to draw blood for testing from the ubilical cord than to perfrom a CVS during pregnancy due to it's high miscarriage rate (1:50) post proceedure. xo

DJ Kirkby said...

P.S. wishing you the best of luck with your business venture!

Brit-Chick Writing Brit-Flick said...

I really feel for you with your mind whirling with conflict. I have developed a simple trick to deal with this myself..for a split second I dare to imagine that I'm being told my life is over, and then I allow myself the euphoria of knowing that the future is still stretching out ahead of me.. suddenly everything jumps back into perspective and I feel so very grateful for all of the good in my life and more than ready to meet the bad head on! x

Fire Byrd said...

Life and death where would we be without them.
Sorry your feeling not as you'd like, it can get so overwhelming at times , trying to sort our heads out.
I'm with you, in the apostrophe campaign!!

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menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

I am going to concentrate upon the good stuff, ie, you guys getting your business off the ground - great stuff! The world is off to hell in a hand cart and that young father looks as though he is 9 years old - sickening. Okay so I moaned a bit!

Career Guy said...

Did you hear about those three guys that drove across the US correcting signs with misplaced apostrophes? It's not possessive--it's plural, darn it.

Hope your business venture gets off to a great start.

MBNAD woman said...

Good luck with the business and don't let the crap get to you. I look forward to reading about it in future postings.
Don't give up on the campaign against ungood English. I have caused moritification to my children by lecturing the store manager in my local supermarket. "Childrens clothe's". Humph!

To make you smile ... handle every stressful situation like a dog ... piss on it and walk away.

xx

Sparx said...

Hi hon, sorry you're in a whirlwind - experience says that these are often our most fruitful times and we emerge stronger for them.

My Mum once worked in a hospital in the UK and had a 12 year old girl in to give birth to her second baby by the same father who, I think, was 13 or 14. All this just shows that anything can, and probably will happen...

Good luck on the business, I hope that happens successfully for you!

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Softinthehead: Raising up is apparently politically incorrect. Oh, the posts I could write.

DJKirby: Have the DNA tests been done yet?

Daisy: What wonderful advice. Thank you.

Fire Byrd: I'll be better soon. Hope you're all right and we can sort out a date in March.

MOB: You're entirely welcome to moan on my blog anytime.

MBNAD Woman: I love that piece of advice. Unfortunately, being a woman, my aim isn't so good.

Sparx: I think the prevalence of such births is far higher than people realise.