Aren’t laptops strange and wonderful things! I'm almost afraid to mention this incase my little beauty takes offence but having travelled from the South of Ireland to the North yesterday she’s being a little temperamental adjusting to the change of scene – so am I! So this will be short and sweet and allow her the morning off to catch up. The drive, especially through Fermanagh, was mega. The clouds were towering and magnificent and so were the downpours, exceptional. I was in Bangladesh with Concern and there was torrential tropical rain on the day we were leaving and we were lucky to get away. Rain couldn’t wait to come down so much so that it started cracking up the runway and ours was the last plane to leave for some days and believe me it was touch and go quite literally. The weather over the last few days reminded me of that. On the plus side the fields, hedges and trees are greener and more lush than ever and you can watch the grass grow and marvel at the rainbows brilliance.
Recently I was writing about woman’s suffrage and how they fought a brave fight for the vote enduring torture and imprisonment and very mixed views from family and the public. So when I came across Corinne Maier, the controversial French author who has some very strident ideas about life, especially a woman’s life choices, I wondered is she serious or just feeding her readership?
The latest book examines female qualities such as empathy – the understanding, concern of others and their situation – which is ‘a construct devised to enslave women.’ If you subscribe to her claims all you have to do to put this right is to embrace selfishness.
Her suggestion is to stop trying to please others, even stop caring about your appearance adding this attitude has to be learned as it’s not natural to most women. Thankfully. Although she has a point when she says to stop being influenced by the ‘superwoman’ we are bullied into thinking we should be and release our inner ‘slackerwoman.’
Would We Be Happier?
She thinks so and advises we should be learning to interrupt men with complete assurance even when we don’t fully know the subject being discussed. “Do it in a loud voice without getting shrill.”
She wouldn’t have pleased the crusading women of the late 1890s, they knew what they were talking about, they remained proud of themselves, their families and their appearances, witness their hats, and could never be accused of releasing their slackerwoman.
With an estimated population being 11 billion in the year 2100, she asks how we’ll be able to feed everyone, so she maintains think about being child-free, don’t have a family, although she has two children of her own. “Are you prepared to give up your free time,” she asks, “dinners with friends, spontaneous romantic getaways, and even the luxury of uninterrupted thought for the vicious little dwarves that will treat you like their servant, cost you hundreds of thousands of pounds and end up resenting you?”
Absolutely no mention of the joy to see your baby grow and mature, helping them when they fall, hearing them laugh, comforting when they cry, tucking them in at night and kissing them as they drift off into a happy sleep.
Is motherhood a trap as she claims? Is marriage a bad idea as she tells us? Although there are times when a child disappoints the parent and causes worry and heartache there is nothing more fulfilling and pleasurable than being called mum or dad and I’m sorry for those who feel parenthood is shear drudgery. Of course, there are couples who make a considered decision not to have a family and that is sensible for many different reasons, lifestyle, work, health or expense are just some of those reasons, not selfishness but good sense. Then there are those men and women who would give their eye teeth to become parents but sadly it doesn’t happen and they learn to live with that heartbreak. But for anyone to subscribe to Corinne Maier’s extreme theories of self obsession is extraordinary to me.
Thinking back to the suffragettes and their fight for the right to vote, Corinne Maier says: ‘If we want equality, then women are going to have to start living more for themselves’
Selfishness or good sense?
PONDER ON THIS.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER LOVED AN AMINAL, ESPECIALLY A DOG, YOU ARE THE POORER FOR IT. YOU HAVE NEVER KNOWN THAT UNCONDITIONAL DEVOTION AND THE HIDDEN LANGUAGE BETWEEN. IT’S AWFUL TO SAY GOODBYE BUT A PRIVILEGE TO KNOW YOU HAVE SHARED SOMETHING SPECIAL AND GIVEN BACK THAT DEVOTION THROUGH LOVE. THE SADNESS NEVER LEAVES YOU BUT THE JOY REMAINS.
WATCH OUT
If you haven’t already come across this already the warning is worth repeating.
Often you’ll get a panic message from one of your children calling on your help. Used to be no problem, it was usually face to face or by telephone but in this digital world things have changed and so have methods of asking for help but be warned, not always from your actual child as I found and almost responded to.
Text message sent to my mobile phone Tuesday 21st May 2024 at 18.42 from +44 7519 941126 and into my Messages
Hi mum this is my new number
IS THIS MY ELDEST SON
Sims no longer working, so I’ve had to go and get a new one. Yes. How have you been
BEARING UP
Me to sims doing my head in. Cant speak right now. OK. Mum can you do me a favour?
YES. WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU
Can you make a payment for me and I will transfer it back once get access to my account
YES
£1380
(What! Suspicion’s begins)
WHO TO
Will send you the details now. Natasha Zahir. 09-01-29. 72127562. Message me when done xxx
When I didn’t reply there was another – Hello can you help please.
I thought I was pretty savvy about scams but I was busy, took it at face value until I saw the amount and then the name, why would my son be sending £1380 to a woman called Natasha. Phoned him and realised it was a total fraudulent message. Beware.