Tuesday 5 March 2013

Birthdays.

    As I explained last week I seldom plan a post in advance, they follow no pattern and are not often topical. Often hard to find anything, then this little item turned up at the eleventh hour.
We have moved house two or three times over the last ten years or so. Much has gone missing, some still missing, some items resurface at intervals. Lifestyles change, we do things, hobbies for instance for a period of time then life moves on. I set up a little 'business' around 1990, creating Birthday Certificates. Fun particularly where 'family' were concerned, I also sent some to 'celebrities' and often received signed photographs in reply. (Eventually the master copy was destroyed; my entraprenerial days were at an end.)  My wife was sorting out papers this week. (Without wives many men would live in permanent squalor and unsorted muddle!) Amongst the papers the following certificate and photo. At some stage separated from his 'fellowmen'. How strange; a curio I did not realise I possessed. Strange too his chosen inscription. I make no comment regarding the man himself; it is not necessary. And I would be interested what YOU would do with these particular items.


  .

5 comments:

Valerie said...

I suppose it's a memento of something you were proud of. It doesn't actually say much about the man who has caused so much grief so I guess no-one will worry if you decide to keep it.

Footie said...

Ken, here's my prescription. Notes to self really. Apart from the first. And I would burn them... consciously, emphatically and ritually. Symbols are important.

Prescription and reminders to self
1. Burn the mementos
2. Meditate, think, pray, and ask for discernment to recognize psychopathy when it crosses my path
3. Make a donation to a child protection charity
4. Do my best to ensure all my children have a healthy balance of openness and caution
5. Don't automatically equate beauty or celebrity with beneficence. Appreciate the first without assuming the second.
6. Listen and give my children and others time and space to share what's really going on in their world... and pray they're able to
7. Act wisely on what they tell me
8. Forgive self when I don't get it right.
And as like most everyone else I meet - not being perfect - first I have to deal with my fury and anger and devastation about the whole situations... Still working on that!

Bitchy said...

Not sure what I would do in your case. My thoughts are: It might give me the creeps to keep it. I am not sure if I could give it away, as it might give some one else the creeps. Even though he did a lot of charity seems most will only remmber the bad, as in most cases. I do not know if he has any children but if so maybe a child of his. Yes I know he did not wed but does not mean there was no child out there. If you did not want to keep it, nor fell good about giving it away maybe a ritual burning would be best. Or just hide it under a rock in the middle of nowhere and let nature slow wash it away.

Bernard said...

Sell them on eBay.
Money to charity.
End of an era.
Job done.

Grumpy Old Ken said...

Thanks to you all. Interesting that the past can come back out of the blue. Life is indeed strange. It also made me donate to Children in Need so some good came out of it.