We’ve just finished National Grief Awareness Week. This is a good thing to finish as, in my opinion, it has no reason to exist. We’ve always had grief, but we haven’t always had a need to parade it for all to see. Now that we have TV and no quality threshold it’s quite common to see grieving family members making a meal of it on the news, or even friends or neighbours or people from the street who just wanted a few minutes on TV
I know that there are people who read the blog, who have suffered grief and bereavement. I’ve also noted that every one of them has dealt with it in what I consider a dignified manner. There will probably be others who probably haven’t mentioned it. I’ve been feeling a bit down myself this week for various reasons to do with family deaths and the time of year, However, I don’t see the need to have a National Week devoted to grieving, with public displays of emotion and downloadable posters. Sorry if this makes me sound old-fashioned or unfeeling, but that’s how I am.
This post could now go one of three ways – a sensitive examination of grief in the 21st Century, a reflective post on the phenomenon of “National Week of…” or I could upset people and put the boot into modern sensibilities.
Tricky choice. I grew up in a world where things were different. They may not have been better, but they were different. When I look around me, I can’t really say things are better than they were.
However, I don’t go out of my way to upset people and I realise that not everybody shares my views. If a national newspaper were to weigh in with a handful of banknotes I would happily start to upset people. I could be the next Katie Hopkins.
I’d just like to point out to all the people who have been moaning recently that the government closing nail bars is not a denial of human rights, that the Magna Carta didn’t confer the right to have your hair done and that we can’t always do what we want. Sometimes you have to suck it up and suffer a bit.
Recognition and acceptance grief and the grieving process should be important every day. I suppose some formal week or day for it, especially in these times, is not a bad thing. Grieving is not a weakness, it is a part of life. It is different for everyone. There are a fair number of national days or weeks for things I am unaware of, so I guess I am not affected by them to any great degree, and am always surprised to learn of another. I don’t watch TV, so that probably helps.
I hear you on the modern life issues, and thing are not what they used to be, for better, and for worse. Rights and obligations are always a balancing act. An aunt of mine used to have a saying, “Sometimes you give 90%, sometimes you take 90%”.
It’s all the fault of PR companies looking for something to justify their existence….or possibly Rupert Murdoch (I blame him for everything out of habit).
Well, if we didn’t have Murdoch, we’d still be blaming Maxwell for everything. 🙂
That is very true but I expect we will see another ‘Buy British’ campaign again soon.
That’s part of the rationale behind my more vegetarian diet choices – I’m not keen on the food standards of our likely food suppliers – US or Australia.
If we can still buy local (at a price) our local farmers should be able to provide us with quality meat.
The theory is that we will eat less meat but keep the quality up. Most of the time, with veg stews, stirfries and curries, I don’t notice the lack of meat.
A good vegetarian meal can certainly make up for meat, and for now, is a lot less expensive.
We looked at a more vegetarian diet for health reasons, but we became more enthusiastic when we looked at the grocery bill. 🙂
We have gone for buying cheap cuts and making them last for several meals.
A good plan too, though I lack the planning skills and patience.
Suffer? What’s that?
Something that went out of fashion some years ago. If you look on social media you’ll see that shame and modesty are going the same way. Gosh, I’m sounding old and reactionary aren’t I?
No filters. There are no filters any more. Yet, at the exact same time we are always offended…
Yes. So true. It is a complicated world where rights always come before obligations and respect, it seems, needs to be shown to people who do nothing to earn it. Oh yes, all my prejudice against the modern world is surfacing…
I get it. People think we’ve come so far…it’s actually quite the opposite
🙂
Yes, I’m with you on this. There are so many ‘weeks of’ and ‘days of’ that they are now impotent and carry no impact. If it hadn’t been for this post I was unaware of Grief Week 😀
It’s Decembeard too. Have you ever thought of growing a beard. Just asking, not setting the Princess up with a punchline or anything… 🙂
I used to grow a beard (goatee) every winter but these days it’s grey and looks dirty. The Princess hates it so it’s a no 😂😂
The problem there, I fear, is that it doesn’t cover enough of your face.
😂😂
🙂
In this period of national emergency I think we have all had our share of grief for whatever the reason, some people just crave their 5 seconds of fame!
Hopefully no one will dream up a National Nail Bar Week.
Having a week for anything seems odd. If something is important it is important all the time.
Some people have significant psychological difficulties because of grief and they need support for what is a mental illness. Perhaps the intention of National Grief Week was to highlight this issue rather than allow people their fifteen minutes of fame?
I’m sure the National Week was well meant, and I’m sure it was designed to showcase the work of several charities that work in the area. However, I’m still of the opinion that we, as a society, are starting to make too much of it.
And, as you say, it should be important all year.
As for nail bars – https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/somerset-news/modern-slavery-bath-nail-bar-1873558
Re the slavery in nail bars, that is a real shame!
It is, but it seems to be widespread when you look at the reports. A local one told a friend of mine that they wouldn’t sign up to track and trace because the government would be able to see how many customers came in.
Oh, naughty!