For the last few days I’ve sat down with my blog open, ready to write something but I’ve had one thing on my mind recently. Well, two but we’ll not talk about the other one. Mainly, my brain has been somewhat occupied with my novel. I’ve been note-making, tweaking plots and coming up with names. Unfortunately this does mean that whenever I sit down to write something on the blog it ends up with me typing out notes for my novel. Not particularly productive from a blogging point of view!
The ‘big news’ at the moment must be the snow in the UK (which has been lovely) but I’m not going to be blogging about that as it’s old news and not very interesting. I say I won’t be blogging about the snow…which is partially true, the snow is not my main focus. I wasn’t sure what to blog about until I read a story in the newspaper, in which parents were complaining that schools were staying closed due to the poor weather, thus teaching their children to have a defeatist, ‘give-up’ attitude.
Okay, let’s take my local school as case in point. I know for a fact (because the school secretary has been using my Land Rover to get to school to place the notes, update the website/answering machine to say the school is closed) why the school has been staying shut.
While reading this story I pondered whether these people were the same people who, should their son or daughter slip and fall on some ice or be hit in the face with a snowball, would be only too happy to sue the school for letting this happen. And herein we find why the schools (or my local in this case) are staying shut. It is not because there is a bit of snow and ice on the ground, but because there are people who, regardless of fault, will want to sue because their child was sliding about on the ice (because that’s what kids do), fell over (because it’s ice!) and broke their arm (because physics > bones).
Schools are not teaching a defeatist attitude, merely protecting themselves from greedy, spineless idiots who need to teach their children a sense of responsibility, to have some accountability for their own actions and that some things are just a part of life. If it is cold and snowing outside, there is a high probability ice will be present. Ice has very little traction, which means if you step on it, you’re highly likely to fall flat on your arse or face. Live with it. If you walk into something at head height, it’s your fault for not looking where you’re going. If you trip up on a step, your fault for not looking where you’re putting your feet. If you slip on some ice you never saw, not your fault but that’s part of life, it happens.
Aside from that, I hope you’re all enjoying the weather 
G x
I received a little leaflet through the post from Virgin Media yesterday informing me that my 4mb broadband package was going to be upgraded free of charge to 10mb. Fantastic!
While I may not be getting “super-speedy” internet in the next week, I am getting officially older. Yes, it’s my birthday on Saturday and I shall be 22; but I’m having the devil’s own time deciding on what I’d like in the way of gifts.
