Wrapped in humour it’s still intolerance!

Yesterday when queueing in the bank I came across a local man I know called R, who I affectionately describe an an oddball. I’ve known him and his wife for many years and they have a child at Kieran’s school. R is completely harmless, and extremely intelligent in his own way. I’m not 100% sure of the history but I believe R does have some mental health issues.

Anyway, in the bank…. R was ahead of me in the queue. He turned and asked me if I’d ever kept ferrets. “No, I can’t say as I have R” I smiled, “Well it’s something you need to do before you die” he replied, “Well, I’ll put it on my list R” and on it went, harmless banter. When it was his turn, he went to the window and quoted a proverb to the girl behind the desk, he was there not 20 seconds and I doubt it’s the first time he’s done this. He smiled, wished the girl a fantastic day and went on his way.

Not the most “usual” banking experience, but no harm done. It’s what happened after that made me so angry. As soon as he left, everyone started laughing, poking fun at him, questioning the girl behind the desk who was now dealing with my query… you get the picture. I could feel my neck then my cheeks getting red. “Ha ha, did you see….“, “Seriously, what is he doing?“, “What was the point in that hahaha”.

I lost my temper a little. “He isn’t doing anyone any harm!!!” accompanied with scowls all around. It went quiet for a moment. I finished my transactions and left, the door hadn’t quite shut when I heard it start again.

For two pins I could have gone back in and really let rip, but I didn’t. I imagine if I had gone back in and accused them all of being intolerant, discriminatory, picking on someone with a disability they would have been aghast, and protested fiercely. You see, prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, and bullying are all dirty words and no-one takes part in any of that, not at all, never, what a thought! But you know they do, by laughing, by poking fun, by being generally unkind. Isn’t it the same thing? Perhaps I am over-thinking this, after all – he didn’t hear them laughing at him so what is the harm?

Personally I think it boils down to how society works nowadays. Discrimination is not acceptable so it rarely happens openly, but frequently occurs behind closed doors, under breaths, wrapped up in laughter. It’s still the same ugliness, just with different packaging.

Do you see this “behaviour” in your everyday life? Has it become so veiled or worse, normal, that you barely notice it anymore? I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

This Is What A Mummy Blogger Is… Right?

A Mummy Blogger is a SAHM who has little else to do during the day but write about the mundane details of their lives, or make details up to make themselves sound more interesting. Of course there are the freebies too, a Mummy Blogger lives for freebies, will write anything you like to get them, they get loads of stuff for doing nothing. One day when the kids are older they will get a proper job.

WRONG!! WRONG!! WRONG!!

This is the kind of description that gets bandied around all over the internet, amongst families and friends, everywhere!! I wouldn’t mind but what a load of crap. Most of the “Mummy Bloggers” I know (and Daddy Bloggers too!) are amongst the most intelligent, screwed on people I know. Some blog full-time, some part-time, many of them work out of the home (or in) as well as blog and many of them run their own businesses. Those that are SAHM/D’s work just as hard as those who are employed out of the house.

Freebies – oh yes, freebies. Have you ever heard the saying “You don’t get something for nothing” – it’s spot on! Any blogger worth their salt researches and tests a product fully before blogging about it. This often includes getting the family involved, taking pictures (possibly hundreds of pictures if you’re trying to pin down a child and product at the same time) and then a review is written up. A review has to be thorough, original & depending on the product / blogger, creatively arranged to keep the reader’s interest. Parent bloggers are a growing community of writers who are much sought after by PR companies – and why is that? That is because we are uniquely skilled individuals who are able to put a point across in an original and interesting way.

MB’s blog for different reasons. I started blogging to give myself a platform to further my freelance writing, but I fell in love with it, and the blog now seems to have a life of it’s own! For me it is part pure enjoyment, part business. Others raise an income from blogging, some use blogging as a tool to further their existing business, to display a craft, hobby or skill they have, some use it as a diary only- to record family events and personal achievements. WHY people blog is of no relevance to anyone else, it just is , and no-one has the right to belittle that.

And as for getting a “proper job”? Don’t even go there!!

Being a blogger is also not as easy as it sounds either, yes anyone can blog, there are many different free software packages and tools you can use to get started, but for those wanting to blog more professionally, you need now to be a good writer AND an internet genuis lol! Self hosting, design, website maintenance, widgets & plugins… some people find all of this very easy, some don’t, but are self-motivated enough to learn, or ask other bloggers for help.

I have read some absolutely amazing things on our people’s blogs, the places they’ve traveled, things they’ve seen, heard and experienced! So you know what, once you look past all the freeloading and time wasting, Mummy bloggers are a pretty bloody fantastic lot.

Right, best go now and make up some stories for tomorrow’s blog and see if I can blag some more freebies!