I think this is bad. Al Fresco holidays ran a competition where they asked you to write a blog post about your best holiday ever. Forty-nine bloggers did. Al Fresco picked a winner. I thought the winning post was good. I didn't think any more about it, until I scrolled down and read a comment that said:
"The winner’s post was very good, but it was more than twice as long as the stated word limit. A 1000 word post is going to be very different to a 500 word one. Was wondering why there wasn’t a level playing field for such a great prize?"
Good point. I went back to the competition launch, and checked what it said:
"Your post should be no longer than 500 words and try to include a picture or two to bring it to life."
Well, Al Fresco thought about it, and said:
"The competition copy suggested the word count, and wasn’t a stated rule, but a suggested length.
All the competition entries were judged on a number of criteria, including length, but also quality of writing, humour, and style – and overall, Inside The Wendy House was the best performing post."
Hm. Tread carefully, Al Fresco holidays. We bloggers are writers. We choose our words attentively. We don't play fast and loose with them. To me "your post should be no longer than 500 words" means that your post shouldn't be longer than 500 words. If the winning post had been 510 words, that's one thing. But 1,000 words? Twice as long?
So why am I posting about this? Of course it sounds a bit sour-grapesy, because I didn't win. (But I knew I wasn't going to, didn't I? I posted a photo of a baby with a beer can for heaven's sake.) I just think that Al Fresco should fess up to having made a mistake - it happens, we're all human - and try a bit harder to make things right, rather than squirm out on a technicality. The company received a lot of publicity from the competition, publicity which depended on the effort of bloggers who were playing by the rules. Where's your good will and sense of fair play, Al Fresco?
I would say this. If you are booking with Al Fresco this summer, do read the terms and conditions very carefully.
If you want to read the story so far, it's in the comments here. And if you want to see the competition rules - sorry, "suggestions" - in the context in which they appeared, you can see them here. But life is short, so I wouldn't bother if I were you. Seriously. Go and spend some time with your kids instead. I just feel the need to back up what I've said.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
New things
It is a rather wonderful aspect of life that there are always new things to be learnt. For example, it's Ibuprofen, not Ibruprofen. Why hasn't anyone told me that before? Have they all been chuckling quietly as I mangle my mouth round that awkward extra R needlessly? Have I never read the side of an Ibuprofen packet carefully? Obviously not - or perhaps I've always bought brand names. And why did I think it was IbRuprofen in the first place? Some weird subconscious link with Irn Bru from my days in Scotland?
Another example. Apparently when you run, you should try and land on the soles of your foot. I've always thought you should land on your heel. Maybe if someone had imparted this knowledge to me earlier in my life, I could have been an Olympic sprinter, or a marathon runner.
And then narwhals. Do you know about narwhals? I didn't.
I was introduced to narwhals by 11-yo, who sings a song about them. (You need only listen to half of this - it just repeats. Go on, it's only 30 seconds of your life, and there's only one rude line. And it's not even that rude. Unless you count the word "kick-ass" as rude, in which case there are two rude lines. Oh, just listen to it and I'll stop apologising.)
It seems that narwhals really do exist, in the Arctic. They are whales, who are notable for their one long horn, which can be up to 3 metres long. Only the males have horns. I don't know why I never knew about narwhals. Maybe they're not real and wikipedia is having a laugh.
Did you know about narwhals? Did you know the narwhal song? Have you learnt anything else new recently? In your own personal accent, does 'narwhal' rhyme exactly with 'firewall'? So many questions.
.
Another example. Apparently when you run, you should try and land on the soles of your foot. I've always thought you should land on your heel. Maybe if someone had imparted this knowledge to me earlier in my life, I could have been an Olympic sprinter, or a marathon runner. And then narwhals. Do you know about narwhals? I didn't.
I was introduced to narwhals by 11-yo, who sings a song about them. (You need only listen to half of this - it just repeats. Go on, it's only 30 seconds of your life, and there's only one rude line. And it's not even that rude. Unless you count the word "kick-ass" as rude, in which case there are two rude lines. Oh, just listen to it and I'll stop apologising.)
It seems that narwhals really do exist, in the Arctic. They are whales, who are notable for their one long horn, which can be up to 3 metres long. Only the males have horns. I don't know why I never knew about narwhals. Maybe they're not real and wikipedia is having a laugh.
Did you know about narwhals? Did you know the narwhal song? Have you learnt anything else new recently? In your own personal accent, does 'narwhal' rhyme exactly with 'firewall'? So many questions.
.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Hello, Lego Team! Thank you for your views
The PR company said:
Dear Iota,
Thank you for your response in regards to our invite to the LEGO Friends event, firstly please accept our sincere apologies, although we would have loved to have you there obviously travelling from the US would be a little extreme! We've updated our UK correspondence list and will ensure to pass on your details to the US team so they can keep you updated of any future events.
That aside, you raised some very interesting points in your blog post and here at LEGO we welcome all feedback so wanted to take this opportunity to respond to these and address any concerns you may have about the Friends range.
At LEGO we believe in providing all children a choice when it comes to the way they play and what they choose to play with. It is this belief which continually drives us to develop the LEGO play experience to ensure it continues to cater to all children, their passions and interests.
Although LEGO is well loved by children all over the world the fact remains that it does predominantly appeal more to boys than girls. In fact, in the US, only 9% of active LEGO households indicate that a girl is the primary user and in the UK it is 18%. Statistics tell us that the vast majority of girls feel that LEGO doesn't offer a play experience that caters to their needs and interests as they grow. In short, girls have for many years now asked for more from the LEGO range.
So after four years of extensive research, during which time we spoke to thousands of girls and parents across the world, we were proud to launch LEGO Friends to the market. The research helped us to shape the range that exists today and we have gone to great lengths to try to ensure it encompasses everything they asked for. One of the main things to come out of the research was that girls wanted a product that mirrored all the constuction elements of the LEGO whilst also combining the opportunity for realistic, character-based role-play and creativity.
Our research also told us what we already know, that all girls are different, they have different needs, interests, passions and ambitions. We hoped by creating a variety of settings and scenarios within Friends, which allow for a whole host of different play experiences, girls will find something that resonates with them - whether that's animals, science, design, inventions, cars, music, art, cooking, exploration or simply building their own mini treehouse – LEGO Friends offers something for them to engage with.
Whilst the construction experience remains exactly the same as any other LEGO product, we have added some new coloured bricks into the range including blues, purples and greens (interestingly pink has existed within the LEGO range for quite a few years now). We also added in smaller details including stickers and accessories to allow for further customisation of the sets, again something girls had expressed an interest in. LEGO's ultimate goal is to invite more girls to enjoy the LEGO play and build experience and we hope that the new LEGO Friends range does exactly that.
We're always happy to hear feedback so if you have any more questions or would like to hear more from us please do let us know.
Kind regards,
L
And I replied:
Dear L
Thank you very much for giving Lego the opportunity to address the points I made in my recent blog post. There are a number of interesting comments on the post, which you might like to feed back to Lego.
It's a complicated issue, isn't it? Lego researches the market, and gives girls what they want. I really can't quibble with that. But of course to a large extent, children want what they're told they want by a whole range of people, among whom are the toy companies. Girls have been - is 'brainwashed' too strong a word? - to be somewhat stereotypical in their desires.
As mothers, we want them to know that the world is a big place and we want to extend rather than narrow their imaginations. I'm pleased that the Friends range does contain "a variety of settings and scenarios". At least the Friends predominant colour is purple, not pink, and it's not too sparkly (from what I've seen). I suppose that's something. There's an Invention Workshop in there alongside the Cafe, the Stage, and the Splash Pool - I hope that proves to be the most popular, but I won't hold my breath on that one.
In my opinion, Lego is fielding some of the backlash that is (hurrah) starting to swell against the pink girlie-girl vacuous culture that seems to dominate the toy and media worlds. It's probably because Lego is such a trusted brand. None of us would get upset about Mattel bringing out a new range of girl toys in which five BFFs can explore beauty shops and fashion design studios, because that's what Mattel does. I guess it just feels worse from Lego. Sorry, Lego. Perhaps we have you on too much of a (moulded plastic) pedestal.
Thank you for your reply, which I am posting on my blog.
Best wishes
Iota
Dear Iota,
Thank you for your response in regards to our invite to the LEGO Friends event, firstly please accept our sincere apologies, although we would have loved to have you there obviously travelling from the US would be a little extreme! We've updated our UK correspondence list and will ensure to pass on your details to the US team so they can keep you updated of any future events.
That aside, you raised some very interesting points in your blog post and here at LEGO we welcome all feedback so wanted to take this opportunity to respond to these and address any concerns you may have about the Friends range.
At LEGO we believe in providing all children a choice when it comes to the way they play and what they choose to play with. It is this belief which continually drives us to develop the LEGO play experience to ensure it continues to cater to all children, their passions and interests.
Although LEGO is well loved by children all over the world the fact remains that it does predominantly appeal more to boys than girls. In fact, in the US, only 9% of active LEGO households indicate that a girl is the primary user and in the UK it is 18%. Statistics tell us that the vast majority of girls feel that LEGO doesn't offer a play experience that caters to their needs and interests as they grow. In short, girls have for many years now asked for more from the LEGO range.
So after four years of extensive research, during which time we spoke to thousands of girls and parents across the world, we were proud to launch LEGO Friends to the market. The research helped us to shape the range that exists today and we have gone to great lengths to try to ensure it encompasses everything they asked for. One of the main things to come out of the research was that girls wanted a product that mirrored all the constuction elements of the LEGO whilst also combining the opportunity for realistic, character-based role-play and creativity.
Our research also told us what we already know, that all girls are different, they have different needs, interests, passions and ambitions. We hoped by creating a variety of settings and scenarios within Friends, which allow for a whole host of different play experiences, girls will find something that resonates with them - whether that's animals, science, design, inventions, cars, music, art, cooking, exploration or simply building their own mini treehouse – LEGO Friends offers something for them to engage with.
Whilst the construction experience remains exactly the same as any other LEGO product, we have added some new coloured bricks into the range including blues, purples and greens (interestingly pink has existed within the LEGO range for quite a few years now). We also added in smaller details including stickers and accessories to allow for further customisation of the sets, again something girls had expressed an interest in. LEGO's ultimate goal is to invite more girls to enjoy the LEGO play and build experience and we hope that the new LEGO Friends range does exactly that.
We're always happy to hear feedback so if you have any more questions or would like to hear more from us please do let us know.
Kind regards,
L
And I replied:
Dear L
Thank you very much for giving Lego the opportunity to address the points I made in my recent blog post. There are a number of interesting comments on the post, which you might like to feed back to Lego.
It's a complicated issue, isn't it? Lego researches the market, and gives girls what they want. I really can't quibble with that. But of course to a large extent, children want what they're told they want by a whole range of people, among whom are the toy companies. Girls have been - is 'brainwashed' too strong a word? - to be somewhat stereotypical in their desires.
As mothers, we want them to know that the world is a big place and we want to extend rather than narrow their imaginations. I'm pleased that the Friends range does contain "a variety of settings and scenarios". At least the Friends predominant colour is purple, not pink, and it's not too sparkly (from what I've seen). I suppose that's something. There's an Invention Workshop in there alongside the Cafe, the Stage, and the Splash Pool - I hope that proves to be the most popular, but I won't hold my breath on that one.
In my opinion, Lego is fielding some of the backlash that is (hurrah) starting to swell against the pink girlie-girl vacuous culture that seems to dominate the toy and media worlds. It's probably because Lego is such a trusted brand. None of us would get upset about Mattel bringing out a new range of girl toys in which five BFFs can explore beauty shops and fashion design studios, because that's what Mattel does. I guess it just feels worse from Lego. Sorry, Lego. Perhaps we have you on too much of a (moulded plastic) pedestal.
Thank you for your reply, which I am posting on my blog.
Best wishes
Iota
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Hello, Lego Team! I'd love to hear your views
Aaargh... I have a thousand things to do other than blogging this morning. I want to leave that "Alcohol" post as my top post because I've had lots of comments and they're all really interesting. But... I just have to post this. I'm all riled up.
[PLEASE, if you read the "Alcohol" post and have something to say, leave a comment, even if it looks like it's Iota's yesterday's news. I am really interested.]
I've been approached by a PR company (which makes me sound like one of those proper bloggers who get approached all the time, so I thought I'd just draw attention to that fact). I will share with you her email and my reply, and let them speak for themselves. And once you've read them, you can read another post here which puts it well.
Hi
I hope you are well
We are keen to get in touch to invite you to a special event on the morning of Friday 10th February to showcase the new LEGO Friends range.
Please join us between 9am-12pm for morning tea at The Spatisserie at The Dorchester Hotel where you will have access to our fantastic new range and the opportunity to meet the LEGO team and have all your questions answered.
Please see our invite below for further information and please let us know if you would like to attend asap as space is limited .
It would be great to see you there.
Best Wishes
A
And I replied:
Hi A
I would love to join you, but unfortunately I live in the US, so won't be able to.
Did you know that Lego has received 45,000 letters from parents, regretting that they are targeting girls in a way that reinforces stereotypes? The "Friends" range gives the idea that girlhood is about shopping and beauty. I lament the days when Lego promoted their blocks as if girls and boys could both enjoy them as equals. If you had a daughter, which would you rather she did? Played with a Lego set which gave her the message that she could build and explore just like a boy? Or played with a Lego set which gave her the message that if she wants to build and explore, it had better be in pink or purple, and it had better be about spas and pedicures? Imaginative play encourages children to think for themselves, and be creative, and dream. It seems to me a shame that girls are sent the message that their dreams take place within such limited parameters.
I would absolutely love to meet the Lego team and talk to them. Since I can't be there in person, if you saw fit to give one of them a copy of my email, I would be really interested to hear their reply. I understand that they are in the business of selling toys, not of broadening the horizons of girls, but I would like to give them the opportunity at least to pause and think about this issue.
I have been planning to do a blog post about the Lego "Friends" range. It seems courteous to give the Lego team an opportunity to give me their views before I do so.
I am attaching three photos of Lego sets in days gone by. Have a look at them alongside the packaging of Lego "Friends", and tell me which you think sends a more positive message to girls. I know I'm not alone in my opinions. 45,000 other parents feel the same (and if that figure is wrong, then I'm glad to give the Lego team an opportunity to correct me).
Best wishes
Iota
[Postscript: I was wrong about Lego having received 45,000 letters - I thought that sounded unlikely. That figure comes from a petition to Lego, which you can find here. I was the 51,968th signatory, so the number is going up. Don't you love it when the internet gives you a voice?]
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Alcohol
I am not going to win that competition, because
(a) no holiday company in their right mind would put a photo of a baby with alcohol on their website
(b) the terms and conditions state that you have to be resident in the UK
(c) I didn't write the post I wanted to write because I left it too late and was hurrying to meet the deadline (I am the 49th entry out of 49), and
(d) because this fabulous post should win. In my opinion. And I didn't read all 48, so don't get cross with me if you're one of the others. Perhaps I just skipped yours.
Even if not a competition winner, the post does give me a perfect segue into a subject that I've been meaning to write about for ages. Alcohol. And this is where I go all prudish on you. Sorry. Please love me anyway.
I had to give the school a baby photo of 14-yo recently. They put together a montage with a baby photo and a current photo of each child. There were oohs and aahs as the slideshow played. I'm imagining that if I'd submitted the photo from my last post, it would have elicited a giggle, or a full-blown laugh, from the audience in a British school. Here, there would have been a silence. An awkward silence. I guess the equivalent would be if you sent in a photo of your smiling baby, sitting on a sofa, with a used syringe by his side. Not quite so funny, eh?
Quite honestly, I am shocked by the UK's acceptance that you can't really go to a city centre on a Saturday night, unless you want to tiptoe your way through the drunken brawls while sidestepping the vomit. Are you really happy, you British taxpayers, that a big chunk of the money you give to that wondrous phenomenon "socialised medicine" is used up in A&E departments, scraping people off the floor and propping them up against a wall until they sober up? Is it reasonable to expect our lovely British Bobbies and A&E medics to spend their Saturday nights doing this?
When I was in England last summer, I was shopping in Curry's, and got chatting to the sales assistant, as he was filling in details about some warranty or other. (Yes, I bought some kind of a warranty on a Curry's product... don't judge me... love me anyway...) He started joking about the week-end, and saying he wouldn't be up to much on Sunday, because he was going out on Saturday night, and we all know what that means. It went over my kids' heads, but it did give me pause for thought. Was it really OK to joke with a customer about getting drunk? It has become commonplace humour that we drink too much (just look at the 'About Me' sections of mummy blogs). Is that really very funny? I'd like to go all smug here, and say that living away from your own culture does give you the opportunity to see some aspects of it in a new way.
After living here for 5 years, I have come to a changed perspective on alcohol. I don't think they get it totally right here - there is a prudishness verging on anxiety. The university where Husband teaches is obsessive about allowing no alcohol on campus, including the student dorms. (Yes, you read that correctly.) So I'm not saying 'come, be like us', and the circles we hang out in do definitely crack open a bottle of wine on social occasions. Either that, or they say to each other beforehand "oh no, it's those English people, help, we'll have to have wine on offer otherwise they're so uptight they can't relax and it's so awkward, but we'll have to pretend that we usually have wine with a meal..." There's also a very odd combination of Christianity and low alcohol tolerance. If you go to a church event, it's almost unheard of to find a glass of wine there. It's odd, because of the little we know about Jesus, we know that he drank wine. And if I had to lay money on whether a glass of red wine does you more damage than a can of Coke, I know which one I'd pick. Oh, except that would be gambling. Alcohol and now gambling. See how quickly one can descend the slippery slope.
Where was I? Oh yes. I don't think they get it completely right here, but I do think they do a better job than in contemporary Britain. There is more protection of young people, and there is less reliance on alcohol to oil the social wheels. The topic is getting more acute for me, what with a 14.5 year old in the house. Here, you can't drink until you're 21. We all know that people do, of course of course, but it does make for a difference to the teenage years. Alcohol really isn't on 14-yo's horizon yet. Social events are either hanging out with the boys at someone's house, or school dances and formal birthday dances, touchingly old-fashioned in feel, and certainly alcohol-free. I am reliably informed that if we were in England, alcohol already would be very much on his horizon. Chalk that up as another reason to love being in America (though I can't lay that one at David Cameron's door).
I would love to know what the right approach is with teenagers. Husband and I always thought we'd go with the idea that by modelling moderation, and by introducing them to alcohol gradually over the years, you teach them to drink responsibly. But I do wonder if in fact what you are doing is teaching them to drink, full stop. The latest research backs this up (but I can't find it now. Bother.) On the other hand, if you don't teach them how to drink, the rest of society sure will once they move beyond home.
I am going to become Amish and move into their lovely horse-drawn-buggy-filled world. My children can leave when they are 25, but not a day before. That is totally the answer.
(a) no holiday company in their right mind would put a photo of a baby with alcohol on their website
(b) the terms and conditions state that you have to be resident in the UK
(c) I didn't write the post I wanted to write because I left it too late and was hurrying to meet the deadline (I am the 49th entry out of 49), and
(d) because this fabulous post should win. In my opinion. And I didn't read all 48, so don't get cross with me if you're one of the others. Perhaps I just skipped yours.
Even if not a competition winner, the post does give me a perfect segue into a subject that I've been meaning to write about for ages. Alcohol. And this is where I go all prudish on you. Sorry. Please love me anyway.
I had to give the school a baby photo of 14-yo recently. They put together a montage with a baby photo and a current photo of each child. There were oohs and aahs as the slideshow played. I'm imagining that if I'd submitted the photo from my last post, it would have elicited a giggle, or a full-blown laugh, from the audience in a British school. Here, there would have been a silence. An awkward silence. I guess the equivalent would be if you sent in a photo of your smiling baby, sitting on a sofa, with a used syringe by his side. Not quite so funny, eh?
Quite honestly, I am shocked by the UK's acceptance that you can't really go to a city centre on a Saturday night, unless you want to tiptoe your way through the drunken brawls while sidestepping the vomit. Are you really happy, you British taxpayers, that a big chunk of the money you give to that wondrous phenomenon "socialised medicine" is used up in A&E departments, scraping people off the floor and propping them up against a wall until they sober up? Is it reasonable to expect our lovely British Bobbies and A&E medics to spend their Saturday nights doing this?
When I was in England last summer, I was shopping in Curry's, and got chatting to the sales assistant, as he was filling in details about some warranty or other. (Yes, I bought some kind of a warranty on a Curry's product... don't judge me... love me anyway...) He started joking about the week-end, and saying he wouldn't be up to much on Sunday, because he was going out on Saturday night, and we all know what that means. It went over my kids' heads, but it did give me pause for thought. Was it really OK to joke with a customer about getting drunk? It has become commonplace humour that we drink too much (just look at the 'About Me' sections of mummy blogs). Is that really very funny? I'd like to go all smug here, and say that living away from your own culture does give you the opportunity to see some aspects of it in a new way.
After living here for 5 years, I have come to a changed perspective on alcohol. I don't think they get it totally right here - there is a prudishness verging on anxiety. The university where Husband teaches is obsessive about allowing no alcohol on campus, including the student dorms. (Yes, you read that correctly.) So I'm not saying 'come, be like us', and the circles we hang out in do definitely crack open a bottle of wine on social occasions. Either that, or they say to each other beforehand "oh no, it's those English people, help, we'll have to have wine on offer otherwise they're so uptight they can't relax and it's so awkward, but we'll have to pretend that we usually have wine with a meal..." There's also a very odd combination of Christianity and low alcohol tolerance. If you go to a church event, it's almost unheard of to find a glass of wine there. It's odd, because of the little we know about Jesus, we know that he drank wine. And if I had to lay money on whether a glass of red wine does you more damage than a can of Coke, I know which one I'd pick. Oh, except that would be gambling. Alcohol and now gambling. See how quickly one can descend the slippery slope.
Where was I? Oh yes. I don't think they get it completely right here, but I do think they do a better job than in contemporary Britain. There is more protection of young people, and there is less reliance on alcohol to oil the social wheels. The topic is getting more acute for me, what with a 14.5 year old in the house. Here, you can't drink until you're 21. We all know that people do, of course of course, but it does make for a difference to the teenage years. Alcohol really isn't on 14-yo's horizon yet. Social events are either hanging out with the boys at someone's house, or school dances and formal birthday dances, touchingly old-fashioned in feel, and certainly alcohol-free. I am reliably informed that if we were in England, alcohol already would be very much on his horizon. Chalk that up as another reason to love being in America (though I can't lay that one at David Cameron's door).
I would love to know what the right approach is with teenagers. Husband and I always thought we'd go with the idea that by modelling moderation, and by introducing them to alcohol gradually over the years, you teach them to drink responsibly. But I do wonder if in fact what you are doing is teaching them to drink, full stop. The latest research backs this up (but I can't find it now. Bother.) On the other hand, if you don't teach them how to drink, the rest of society sure will once they move beyond home.
I am going to become Amish and move into their lovely horse-drawn-buggy-filled world. My children can leave when they are 25, but not a day before. That is totally the answer.
Friday, February 3, 2012
On holiday with Socrates
This post is an entry to the Tots100/Al Fresco Holidays competition. Thomson Al Fresco offer holidays in "luxury mobile homes in Europe's best parcs", and you can visit their website by clicking here.
Why do we go on holiday anyway? It’s a big part of life for us Brits, but it’s not the same in all cultures. After our first summer living in the US, I was surprised to discover that most families hadn’t been on holiday. Going away in the summer just isn’t an expectation, a normal thing to do, as it is for us. I don’t want to be critical of Americans, but I do think they’re missing out.
It’s not just the chance to experience a new place, a different culture, unfamiliar foods. It’s not just the opportunity to spend more time with family or friends, or pursuing a favourite activity. No. It’s the time in the year when we rest, relax and reflect. Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living”. In my book, holidays are those times when our lives are examined.
I deliberately put that sentence in the passive, because I don’t mean that we need to sit around in some philosophical fug, reading weighty tomes and pondering deep cogitations. Sometimes our lives can be ‘examined’ by little nudges here and there which tell us important things, if only we will listen. It might be that you remember how much you really, really love running around outside with your kids, and that thought will motivate you to make time to go to the park on a Saturday morning when you get home. Or perhaps you’ll dare admit to yourself a sense of restlessless, a needing to move on, which will prompt you to look for a new challenge. Or maybe you’ll just realize that your life is full of good things, and the break will deliver you back to ‘normal life’ less anxious and more grateful.
I remember our first holiday with a baby, in 1997. He was three months old. My husband and I were living in London, and house-sat for a week in Brighton. I took my usual holiday fare – a stack of paperbacks. I returned home having finished not even one of them. That was a Socrates moment. Life was different with a baby (duuuuh…) We went on the Bluebell steam railway – because obviously a three month old baby can fully appreciate steam railways. That was the other side of the coin of lost paperback time. It was a taste of the years ahead of family-orientated outings, of being one of those lucky people who I’d so often seen, pottering along a railway platform at a snail’s pace, a small hand in their own, their enjoyment of the day wrapped up in the excitement of the diminutive railway enthusiast attached to that small hand.
Here is my favourite photo from that holiday. I do have pictures of the steam train, and the beach, and the South Downs, but I like this one, staged with our poor innocent unsuspecting firstborn. It speaks of the process of adjusting to parenthood.
Take Socrates on holiday with you. He would have approved of holidays, I think.
.
Why do we go on holiday anyway? It’s a big part of life for us Brits, but it’s not the same in all cultures. After our first summer living in the US, I was surprised to discover that most families hadn’t been on holiday. Going away in the summer just isn’t an expectation, a normal thing to do, as it is for us. I don’t want to be critical of Americans, but I do think they’re missing out.
It’s not just the chance to experience a new place, a different culture, unfamiliar foods. It’s not just the opportunity to spend more time with family or friends, or pursuing a favourite activity. No. It’s the time in the year when we rest, relax and reflect. Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living”. In my book, holidays are those times when our lives are examined.
I deliberately put that sentence in the passive, because I don’t mean that we need to sit around in some philosophical fug, reading weighty tomes and pondering deep cogitations. Sometimes our lives can be ‘examined’ by little nudges here and there which tell us important things, if only we will listen. It might be that you remember how much you really, really love running around outside with your kids, and that thought will motivate you to make time to go to the park on a Saturday morning when you get home. Or perhaps you’ll dare admit to yourself a sense of restlessless, a needing to move on, which will prompt you to look for a new challenge. Or maybe you’ll just realize that your life is full of good things, and the break will deliver you back to ‘normal life’ less anxious and more grateful.
I remember our first holiday with a baby, in 1997. He was three months old. My husband and I were living in London, and house-sat for a week in Brighton. I took my usual holiday fare – a stack of paperbacks. I returned home having finished not even one of them. That was a Socrates moment. Life was different with a baby (duuuuh…) We went on the Bluebell steam railway – because obviously a three month old baby can fully appreciate steam railways. That was the other side of the coin of lost paperback time. It was a taste of the years ahead of family-orientated outings, of being one of those lucky people who I’d so often seen, pottering along a railway platform at a snail’s pace, a small hand in their own, their enjoyment of the day wrapped up in the excitement of the diminutive railway enthusiast attached to that small hand.
Here is my favourite photo from that holiday. I do have pictures of the steam train, and the beach, and the South Downs, but I like this one, staged with our poor innocent unsuspecting firstborn. It speaks of the process of adjusting to parenthood.
Take Socrates on holiday with you. He would have approved of holidays, I think.
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