I had cause to have ‘the conversation’ regarding injuries and recovery with a colleague yesterday. The nature of my job is such that I see a lot of people so I still have these conversations fairly regularly. My technique is a basic introduction followed by recounting a couple of blog posts, seems to work.
Yesterday’s conversation was in a car and I watched the screwed up face and physical discomfort that always accompanies description of the actual damage. Once through that I was met with the hilarity that accompanies, on this occasion, squeezy marmite (thanks Jo), press ups and sneaky cast removals. This is perfectly normal for me, there is rarely a time when I can’t raise a laugh from one of the darkest and most scary times in my life. At the end of the conversation my colleague remarked that my attitude was astounding, my answer was that ‘once it’s done, it’s done you just have to get on with it’.
Walking back to the hotel that evening I wondered whether there was something odd in my attitude to life, do I approach things differently? I can’t think that I do, doesn’t everyone laugh at their own misfortune? That old saying of “laughter is the best medicine” has a lot of truth in it surely?
I have a thought from facebook for you this morning, feel free to skip this if your hatred of social media necessitates. The morning’s concern is about the apparently constant need for approval that blights so many young girl’s lives. This can be seen in the millions of ‘selfie’ pictures posted online, what else would posses you? When these pictures get negative comments we are told that this is wrong and that it can lead to depression and ruin lives. This is a public forum, if you post a picture then you must intend it to be viewed. If you haven’t proofed the photo or hell you’re just ugly then remember this is the real world, people have no obligation to be nice!
The reality is that these pictures garner two generic responses, lovers and sisters. There are the guys who will comment positively but who would be too tongue tied to pass a compliment in the flesh. This is basic, and often missed, facebook courtship. Then there are the girls who will be “stunned”, declare “love” and wolf whistle, unless you’re gay I would suggest that this is an experience you wouldn’t want repeated in real life?
Ultimately though the craze for self admiration can be blamed on poor childhoods, can’t everything? It is an absence of fairytales that makes this seeking of approval seem ok. You see when we were young we were told stories of wicked witches consulting mirrors for approval about their beauty. Ok it may have made us ever cautious of rosy red apples but it also taught us that if you keep canvassing opinion the results won’t be good.