Sunday 22 July 2012

a long week

another blogging break, but i have reasons.

i turned 46 on monday, which doesn't bother me.  i've been feeling 46 for the last 6 months, for some unknown reason, so when it actually happened, i felt no change at all in my mind.  which is factually correct in a sense - on your birthday, you're actually only another day older rather than another year older, and that's what i felt.

i was hoping that i wouldn't mind the signs i've aging.  i wrote last year about my grey hairs and how i feel about them.  that hasn't changed.  and i don't mind wrinkles on my face.  but somehow i do mind that my fingers are getting all wrinkly.  i couldn't possibly explain why.  i don't have conventionally attractive hands with long tapering fingers.  i have very plainly ordinary hands, and yet i don't like my fingers being all wrinkly.  i'm sure i'll get over it soon.

a friend of mine thought it would be hilarious to gift me "fifty shades of grey" for my birthday.  which it was - we both laughed for ages.  i guess you had to be there.  i'll write what i think about the book another time.

also this week, i've had some minor surgery, which involved quite a number of stitches and also quite a number of injections of local anaesthetic.  the latter probably because i have such an issue dealing with physical pain.  i found the injections pretty painful, but the rest of it went ok.  i managed to be at work the next day, but it means that i've been pretty exhausted in the evenings, and certainly not in the mood to blog, or to do anything much else.


and then there are the various tragedies around the world.  mostly the horrific events in syria, and then the shooting at a movie theatre in america.  so much misery and sadness.  in terms of syria, i can't see a way out of this mess that will lead to a positive outcome.  given what's been happening in egypt and libya, there just seems to be so little cause for hope.  all i can do is pray that things will get better, and that the people of that country can live in safety and prosperity.

as for the cold-blooded mass-murder in american, i feel for the people who have had to live through it.  and then live through the victim-blaming.  again i note that the word terrorism isn't being used, even this is a deliberate act done to instil terror.  i've also seen little mention that one of those killed was an arab-american, although there has been plenty of coverage of jessica ghawi.  her brother's blog giving updates is really sad, even though he reports in a pretty factual way.  i really found moving his acknowledgement of the need to focus on those who died, and that all should get equal attention.

then there's the debate over gun-control, which is an almost impossible one to win in america.  and yet there are people who are continually raising the issue and spreading awareness.

and finally for today's mish-mash of a post, ramadan started on friday night, and i'd like to wish everyone ramadan mubarak.  already we are busy with invitations, and with the extra prayers.  its a time to remember those who suffer, those who have so much less than what i have been blessed with, and to be grateful and appreciative for all the wonderful things in my life.

1 comment:

Brett Dale said...

The mass murder in the USA is just so sad, who expects to go out to the movies and get murdered. The reason they don't call this an act of terrorism is because it wasn't politically motivated,unlike Timothy McVeigh, I dont think you can call any random act of violence terrorism, even though it causes terror.

Jessica Ghawi has had more coverage than the other victims because of the unique story that she survived the mass murder in Toronto.

Her brother is right, the names of all the victims should be mentioned more than the killer's name.

Thankfully acts of violence such as this are quite rare, not counting ones where family members have been involved, or acts of terrorism, there have only been five mass shootings in the USA since 1999.

Five too many though.