Minkyweasel World

One Girl's Outlook On Life

Archive for the ‘Behaviour’ Category

We’re funny people

Posted by Shirley Anne on February 4, 2012

Pointless (TV series)

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I was watching a game show on television broadcast late in the afternoon or early evening which many of you in the UK will most probably have seen. It is called ‘Pointless‘. The game itself is based around the contestants returning obscure answers to gain as few points as possible, ultimately to try to win the day’s jackpot. Like many other programs of a similar nature it is an informal affair. The presenter and his assistant, although both wearing suits, do not wear a tie but have an open-neck shirt only. This seems to be the norm for any program which is presented during daytime viewing. However when it comes to presenting programs later in the evening a more formal dress code is usually called for but there are exceptions to this these days where once before it would have been considered a taboo. Old habits are hard to change in some cases though. Take for example a snooker championship event. During the preliminary rounds the contestants often appear with open-neck shirts with no tie but usually with a waistcoat. When, in the evening and especially if it is the semi-final or final set of games, everyone wears a tie. Even the male presenters exhibit the same routine. Why should the final be any different from all the other games? It seems we can be laid-back and informal but think it is necessary to wear smarter attire for the evenings. There is nothing wrong with having a dress code for an occasion but it should perhaps be as a minimum requirement rather than an obligation to formality. We see our behaviour regarding many things in life having a dual standard. Why should it be acceptable for women to be able to wear whatever they like, within reason of course, when the same consideration isn’t given to men? There have to be standards in a civilised society of course but we can be far too politically correct for our own good sometimes. Speaking of political correctness, we take things too far at times. How stupid is Bah, bah dark-coloured sheep? Doesn’t the colour black exist anymore? Too much  bureaucracy, political correctness, unnecessary restrictions and dual standards can make life unbearable on occasion and we can become neurotic about stepping on someone’s toes in case we find ourselves punished for just being sensible. As it stands now some of the things we do really are pointless.

Shirley Anne

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Harsh words

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 31, 2011

Cover for a NIV Bible

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I have never believed that homosexuality (and lesbianism) was right and I have always objected to the association given between the homosexual community and specifically the transsexual community. The two are incongruous. These beliefs are based upon my faith as a Christian and what the teachings are on the subject as far as Scripture is concerned. God clearly states in several places in His word that these things are wrong but the gay community either chooses to ignore it or doesn’t believe it or tries to twist the truth in order to justify the lifestyle. Of course they may not believe in God in which case in their eyes there isn’t a problem. It amuses me when non-believers quote Scripture to defend themselves when they don’t believe in God or when they try to justify what they do by the use of Scripture as if it mattered to them. I do not have a problem with homosexual or lesbian people in the least but I do, as a Christian, have problems with their sexual behaviour which for Christians (and perhaps others) is unacceptable because it is in conflict with what Scripture says on the matter. What is objectionable is the fact that some quarters insist that the Christian Church accepts this behaviour as normal and allows acceptance of individuals into their midst without question. Christians are taught and it comes naturally to them to love their fellow-man but that does not mean accepting their sexuality and lifestyle. How can a Christian believer reject God’s word on the matter? It isn’t a question of love in the way that is often demanded of a Christian either. We get told that we should love those who are different as it is the Christian thing to do. Well it is the right behaviour to expect from a true Christian. However, loving someone doesn’t mean accepting their behaviour.

1 Corinthians 6

Lawsuits Among Believers

1 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. 9 Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men[a] 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Sexual Immorality

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”[b] 17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.[c]

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Footnotes:
  1. 1 Corinthians 6:9 The words men who have sex with men translate two Greek words that refer to the passive and active participants in homosexual acts.
  2. 1 Corinthians 6:16 Gen. 2:24
  3. 1 Corinthians 6:17 Or in the Spirit 
    New International Version (NIV)Copyright ©  1973, 1978, 1984, 2011  by Biblica

Shirley Anne

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I’m not that brave at all

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 13, 2011

Climbing Gear

Image by stilldavid via Flickr

People do some funny things. Whilst watching the evening news, well it was more to do with the weather, I saw a young man holding his jacket over his head to catch the wind. We have been experiencing some very high winds these last few days and on Thursday in particular it was blowing 60 to 90 mph depending on where you were. The young man could have been lifted off his feet and thrown backwards a few yards (metres) perhaps injuring him but he was going for the moment. In a later program we were shown a huge open-structured tower similar to electricity pylons but much taller. It was, or is, the only one of four that stood in the area and was used as an early warning radar aerial during the war. We were told that it was built in 1939 but it looked perfectly safe standing there in a remote part of Lincolnshire. Today it is being used by the Royal Airforce as a training utility testing cadets capability working at height. The camera showed the view from the top of the tower and I felt insecure just looking at the television screen! I’m afraid I couldn’t attempt climbing that height even with the safety gear the presenter and RAF members were using. I get nervous at height but strangely enough in certain circumstances I lose all fear, for example when in an aeroplane or building (as long as look down out of the windows in the case of a building), ridiculous as it may seem I was never frightened when climbing scaffolding but I get nervous if climbing too far up a ladder, say more than fifteen feet. I was amazed to find that parascending was thrilling and I wasn’t in the least scared of climbing so high even though the parachute might have developed a fault. A few months ago I went up in a basket suspended from a hot-air balloon and felt quite safe. Strange isn’t it? Some of those fears are irrational I know but there is always an element of danger in any of them. It just seems peculiar that some things I am not happy doing yet others, equally as potentially dangerous I don’t mind. When I transitioned I was told that I was brave doing what I did but I find some of the things mentioned here require much more a certain amount of bravery. Me? I am not really brave at all, when something needs doing I do it if I am able or if it is necessary but I refuse to do things I am not that happy doing. No I’m not brave at all.

Shirley Anne

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Untidiness

Posted by Shirley Anne on December 5, 2011

I have never been able to understand why some people are so untidy and others are not. Take my ex. E for instance, as long as I have known her, which has now been just about 40 years, she has been an untidy person. She spends a lot of time sitting with her computer in the rear lounge busy doing her competitions, which incidentally wins her many prizes but at the same time she gathers around her quite a lot of paraphernalia.

 And this is a good day! Now I have seen her bedroom and it is much worse. Don’t misunderstand me here, I am not criticising, believe me I have lived with her for so long and am used to it. It’s just the way she is. I am completely the opposite inasmuch as I do not like untidiness and therefore you will never see my bedroom in such a way or the armchair on which I sit cluttered and left that way. I have worked in many houses over the years, thousands of them in fact. I have seen places far worse than E’s minor untidiness and places so clean they are like show-houses without a blemish or anything out-of-place. One extreme to the other and many in-between. I like a house to be ‘lived in’, to show that people live there and are not being too fussy about their space. One house I visited was so bad but it wasn’t so much the untidiness of the place it was filthy too. The woman had about 12 cats freely roaming about, cat food all over the unswept floors, cobwebs everywhere, dust an inch thick, food left open on a table, unwashed dishes and much more. I think you get the picture. It is one thing to be a little untidy but quite another to be very untidy and also unclean. At least I can say that although our house is a little untidy in places (LOL), it is kept clean. There may be an excuse for untidiness but there isn’t one for being dirty and I cannot understand why people allow themselves to get into such a habit. Human beings come in all shapes and sizes and with all sorts of strange habits and persuasions don’t we? It is what makes us what we are. It is our differences which hold us apart sometimes yet the same differences can attract, up to a point!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Humanity, Lifestyle | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Thinking aloud, why?

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 25, 2011

The Soap Opera Encyclopedia

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I used to be a person who despised watching soap operas on television but in more recent times I find myself watching one or two of them. The most striking thing I notice in these programs is the way they portray how people deal with each other, more specifically how they treat each other. They say that soap operas are not true to life but in fact they are very much true to life. Admittedly much is crammed into the episodes and much is going on between the characters but when we analyse it all we can see that the things that go on are the same things that most of us experience or have experienced in our own lives. I wonder why people treat other people the way they do. Some people get along with almost anyone, others find it difficult to get along with anyone at all. People can be horrible toward some and yet at the same time be nice to others. Why are people horrible toward others and what pleasure do they get out of putting another down? As human beings we can be both nasty and kind, selfish and unselfish and we are selective in which is dealt to whom. What makes us hate one person and like another, be kind to one person and leave another out of it? If we analyse our behaviour we might find that we treat others in a way which is dependent on what we might gain from it. If someone is different from us we are often cautious in dealing with them but all the time we are looking to see what effect they will have upon us, whether beneficial or otherwise. We may not think about these things, they just come naturally. So when I look at soap operas do I see aspects of my own personality being portrayed or do I feel that I act in a completely different way? Do we think we have faults that should be worked upon or do we feel we are not behaving badly? Do we really treat our neighbours as we would have them treat us? Do we really love as we ought or do we select whom we should treat preferentially?

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Love, Nature, People, Philosophy, Sociology | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Traditional minds

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 13, 2011

A paper poppy, worn in the United Kingdom from...

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A deafening blast
A shriek of pain
Mud filled clothes
Relentless rain,
And bodies left
Just where they fell
In this infernal
Man made hell.
All through the night
All through the day
The suffering
Won’t go away,
Our comrades’ dead
Our spirits low,
Now all that’s left to us, is hope.

The War
Copyright Shirley Anne 11 Nov 03

This Sunday is rememberance Sunday, a day when most people ‘honour’ the dead although many services are held on the actual day, 11th November, which this year was on Thursday. Poppies are bought and worn on lapel and blouse. Our soldiers gave their lives that we might live in a free society…..well that is what is claimed. Whilst it is honourable to prevent our country from invasion it isn’t nice that people die doing it. They say that people gave their lives to the cause but in fact they didn’t give their lives at all, their lives were taken from them. Very few would deliberately give their lives freely. Nobody goes to war with the intention of being killed but they do get killed. Whilst it is proper to mark the passing of someone who has died it does nothing to repeat the process year on year. Just what do we mean by ‘honouring the dead’ anyway? I see people standing beside graves and memorials with heads bowed supposedly honouring the dead. What are they actually doing? Well their thoughts may turn to the suffering that was endured or those who were left fatherless or widowed but probably not of the person in the grave who isn’t there anyway, just a pile of bones. So they stand about thinking all sorts of things over a pile of bones. This could be done at home, in church, at work…..anywhere and it would still be meaningless. I agree that we should support soldiers who have fallen on hard times or are left injured or maimed through ‘serving their country’ but I resent the fact that they have to do it in the first place. I may give to the poppy appeal but I won’t wear a poppy to show that I support anything to do with war. People who stand around graves are honouring the evil spirits that put the dead there in the first place. Life goes on and whilst it does then that is the time when we should be honouring people, whilst they are alive, not when they are dead!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Charity, Evil, People, Society, Tradition | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Who is to blame?

Posted by Shirley Anne on November 5, 2011

Blame!²

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Regular readers of these pages will know that I have broached this subject in one form or another in the past. Looking at todays society and in particular the decline in moral standards and behaviour makes me wonder how and why things are they way they are. Probably many of us would be unaware of most of the things that go on around us if it were not for the news broadcasts or programs about police activities which have become somewhat popular lately. There are many reasons why our children and youth get into a life of crime and it is easy to blame them for their unruly behaviour and lack of morals. So if it isn’t a simple question of blaming them then who do we blame? Knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable and what isn’t is not necessarily why a life of crime is embarked upon however many youths don’t think that their behaviour is wrong. They may feel that it is their right to do as they please and react violently when apprehended. Lessons are sometimes learned but many return to their old ways after receiving and working out their punishment. There is a hard core of persistent re-offenders who it seems never learn from their mistakes. When I see these people being arrested I feel so sorry for them that they should waste their lives in this way. Of course I feel much simpathy for those whose lives have been affected by criminal activity. We have all done wrong things in our lives but it didn’t become a way of life as it is for some. So who is to blame? Is it bad parenting, being in a low-income family, living in underprivileged areas, poor housing conditions, peer pressure or lack of job prospects? Can we place blame on any of these things or is it a more fundamental problem concerning a persons natural inclination to do wrong?

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Community, Crime, Lifestyle, Morality, Values | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Handling defeat

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 25, 2011

Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime

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As children we have to learn quickly that sometimes we can be defeated. Learning to accept defeat can be hard for those who are proud and want to show that they can excel in all things. It is a learning curve of course for as we grow we realise that we are not the best in everything we do and there will always be others who do better than ourselves. Sometimes we find ourselves at the top of the pile and that can be something equally as difficult to deal with. We have to learn that defeat can be a good thing for in defeat we are built-up. One thing we have to learn as Christians is to be able to take defeat and realise that fact. We learn by mistakes and those who maintain that they never make mistakes never made anything! On Sunday afternoon in the UK many football games are played. I like football but I am not that fond of it at the expense of more important things. I do have a favourite team which is Liverpool and they are not doing too well so far this season hovering around a third of the way down the  Premiership table. They are doing better than some though. One of my sons, the younger one, loves football too but he supports Manchester United and often ribs me that I support a lack-lustre team like Liverpool but he forgets that Liverpool has won many trophies over the years but just lately are not doing quite so well. There is always rivalry between football supporters, for instance in Liverpool we have Liverpool and Everton, reds and blues and in Manchester they have Manchester United and Manchester City. City football team have never done as well in recent years as United generally speaking but on Sunday the tables were turned. Manchester City team are enjoying a very good season so far, much as they did last season but even better and they have become serious rivals for the Premiership title.  Sundays game began slowly but eventually, at half-time the score-line was 2-1 in favour of City. The second half saw them defeat United to the tune of 6-1, something hardly expected. My son watched the game but dashed out of the room when the score was 5-1. I could tell he was annoyed by his reactions, door slamming and mumbling to himself he left the house and drove off somewhere. A dangerous thing to do in my estimation. He might be involved in an accident whilst driving in that mood. He obviously cannot handle defeat as well as he should. He normally has a short fuse anyway and is sometimes difficult to deal with for that reason. He was taught to accept defeat as a child but I guess it got the better of him. One day he may realise that being defeated isn’t the end of the world and somethings he shouldn’t take personally. Handling defeat is a challenge and something we must learn to deal with before it destroys us.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Philosophy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

I could never understand

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 24, 2011

Frances Benjamin Johnston (right) poses with t...

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Once upon a time, sounds like a story coming up but no, not today, today I want to talk about transvestitism. The dictionary description: the practice, especially of men, of wearing clothing usually associated with the opposite sex for psychological gratification.

When I was very young I always wanted to dress as a girl and I never lost that feeling for the rest of my life but as I grew into my teens I realised that what I wanted was not so much to dress as a girl but to be one. Throughout my childhood I desired to be female but knew nothing about it ever being possible. In reality I was already a female but was in the wrong body as the cliché goes. Dressing up for me was a way of fulfilling who I was as far as I could make that possible. Fear and self-denial, circumstances and situations prevented me from taking matters any further. In later life when I eventually became serious about transitioning I discovered many other people in the same boat but I also became aware of people for whom dressing was simply nothing more than a self-gratification and that gender identity wasn’t an issue for them. By far the majority of cross-dressers that I met were male but I did get to meet female cross-dressers too although in their cases they were all gender dysphoric, they were men in women’s bodies as I was a woman in a male body. For the male cross-dressers it seemed to me that dressing up was more of a hobby and as I said, self-gratification, whether that was of a sexual nature or not is irrelevant. I could not understand why anyone should want to do that but it showed a lack of awareness on my part that there are indeed many different people in the world all with differing views, sexual urges, fantasies, persuasions, call it what you will. Even though I now know these things I cannot understand them which brings me to the point where I realise that people who are not transsexual do not always understand that condition either. Ultimately education and time will correct this but I feel there will always be those who will not accept those who are different from themselves. All I can say is that I do accept that people are different for whatever reason even if I do not understand sometimes.

Shirley Anne

 

Posted in Behaviour, Clothes, Lifestyle, People, Transgender, Transsexual | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 20, 2011

O Worship the Lord

Image by Ruth Flickr via Flickr

I base truth on what is written in the Word of God, the inspired word of God, The Bible and in the revelation of truth as given by the Holy Spirit. What others believe is a matter for themselves to consider. Having made a statement like that I have to admit and accept that not everyone believes the same. For those however, who purport to be Christian, the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as written in the holy Scripture should not be taken lightly. Mis-interpretation is to be avoided as far is possible and the assumption that something is truth because certain passages seem to indicate that as fact should be avoided at all costs. Never take Scriptural passages out of context in order to justify one’s beliefs. The whole tenet of Scripture is to be taken into consideration over an issue for many passages may give a different view. All must be considered and weighed before making any assumptions as to the truth of the matter. As an example it says in many instances in the Bible that God is love. People therefore will use that as an excuse for their behaviour assuming that because God sent His only begotten Son to make atonement for our sins, all our sins are forgiven. They are indeed forgiven if we repent of them. Our lifestyles can be a reflection of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ or they can be an insult. If we knowingly continue in sin, against the will of God, there is no further atonement for those sins and we condemn ourselves. God is a loving Father to all mankind but He is a God who judges too. I read about homosexuality, bi-sexuality, lesbianism and deviant sexual activity which are not accepted as being wrong in the eyes of those who consider themselves to be of that persuasion. They assume that because it wasn’t their fault that they were born that way, which is in itself a debatable subject, that God accepts them when they live that way. He accepts them but not the things they do. It is one thing to be sexually attracted to the same-sex but another to actively indulge. God loves the sinner but hates the sin. The Bible is often used as proof that it isn’t wrong to love another person of the same-sex and it isn’t wrong to love another person but not in a sexual way. There are several verses in Scripture which show that God detests homosexual behaviour. It isn’t just sexuality either, there are many things that God detests and they are all written in His Word. Idolatry, fornication, mediums (as in fortune tellers and such), man-made festivals (and there are a few in the calendar year) and many other things which people tend to gloss over and forget. If you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth then why settle for anything less? I am a sinner, I get things wrong, I do not deserve salvation from a loving Father but * by grace I have been saved, through faith and this not from myself, I couldn’t earn it, not by works or anything I have done lest I should boast about such things*. No, it is the gift of God and it says so in His word. It is all down to a willingness to walk as He expects us to walk and to beg forgiveness when we get it wrong. Not by the way we think we should be walking, not by a misguided interpretation of the truth but by the real thing.

*Ephesians 2 v 8-9*

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, God, Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit, Lifestyle, Religion | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Will she ever learn?

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 16, 2011

Some typical alcoholic beverages.

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I have just read one of my daily ‘words’ from Scripture the essence of which tell me that even though I may strive to be perfect in every way I know that I shall never attain perfection for as long as I live. The reading points out that I should be telling myself daily that I know I am not perfect but that I am better than I was before. A good philosophy to be sure. There are areas in my life though where I struggle to get better for I will forget the promises I make to myself and over-indulge. On Friday I spent the afternoon, late afternoon that is, at the pub. I sat there for a couple of hours watching people come and go whilst I was reading a newspaper and having a drink.  Eventually the pub filled to capacity but I remained seated and alone by choice.  Later I began to mingle and before long found myself in the company of friends. Drifting along with the conversations, meeting new people and generally having a good time robbed me of my sensibility and I ended up shall we say, slightly inebriated! Horror of horrors I hear you say but it is all so easy to forget one’s promises not to get drunk when one has had too much to drink and therein lies the danger. Switching to soft drinks is the better solution and one that I should endeavour to embrace more often. Let’s hope I eventually learn my lesson and be a little more responsible in future. I arrived home in the early hours after the fifteen minute walk from the pub and was so hungry I rustled up a meal. Still not tired after my escapade I took to surfing the Web and posted comments on other folks blogs. I was beginning to doze off when I made my way upstairs at five in the morning! I remember looking at the clock at five-thirty and then fell asleep, in the correct attire for the occasion I might add and not in my normal clothes! I awoke at ten fully refreshed and most definitely not with a hang-over. I drink far too much water after drinking alcohol to end up with a splitting morning-after headache. Dehydration or lack of it is something I have under complete control. It only remains for me to keep myself under control when out enjoying myself.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Drink, Enjoyment, Friendship, Happiness, Leisure, Lifestyle, Philosophy, Temptation | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The lady who loved herself

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 11, 2011

Something from my childhood…………

The lady who loved herself

Children have such a vivid imagination and can dream up things and make believe that they are true. They can also be very cruel in their treatment of others and in the observations that they make about them. To a child, often black is black and white is white. There is no in between sometimes. Everything has to conform and anything, even slightly different is quickly spotted and therefore open to ridicule. We would dismiss this as normal human behaviour because I suppose we have all been guilty of acting this way when we were young. Most children will grow up to be sensible adults, making educated assessments of most things and situations. As adults they will have developed the ability to not only see black and white but all the in between shades of grey too. They will realise, with the advantage of experience, that things cannot always be taken at face value because often there is a reason for things not appearing as perhaps they think they should. Of course even adults can be unaccepting of many things that they consider out of the ordinary or not conforming to accepted standards, standards imposed by society. It is the demonstation of rejection and discrimination which is intimidating to the recipient and can lead to unfortunate situations. Homophobia is a form of this kind of behaviour.

 

As young children, my brother, sisters and I would often kneel on chairs and look out of the window overlooking the main street in front of our little house. Our youngest brother had not been born at that time. It was just the four of us. We would spend hours gazing out into the street which was quite busy at times as it was one of the main arterial roads out of the city centre less than a mile away. We would see the old tram cars, buses, lorries and a few private cars too. Many people walked back and forth in front of our window on regular trips in and out of town. We got to know a few of them by sight. On Sunday mornings we would see two women walking past. First down the street, presumably into town and later again up the hill past our window, presumably returning home. Both ladies, I will call them ladies because of the way they were dressed, always immaculate and well groomed in the fashionable clothes of the day. So it seemed to us anyhow but they did stand out from the majority of the women we ever saw. One lady appeared to be much older and smaller in height than her companion who I guess must have been around thirty years of age. It was the younger of the two who I remember most vividly. She was usually dressed in a brown tailored skirt suit, trousers for women were not fashionable in those days, high heeled shoes, carrying a matching brown bag and wearing a wide brimmed hat sometimes with a feather in it. The hat also had an open mesh veil which covered her face. I will always remember her face. It was as smooth as porcelain but heavily covered in make-up and she had bright red lipstick on her full lips. She wore pearl earrings and a pearl necklace was draped around her neck. She often had a fox fur stole around her shoulders which many women still wore occasionally. She always looked immaculate, a perfect model, a perfect woman. I secretly loved seeing her and wondered if I would ever be able to wear clothes like hers and full make-up. I must have been about eight years old, maybe a bit younger when I first saw her. She walked arm in arm with her older companion who we thought of as her mother and we never did see them apart. We felt as children that because this lady was always so well groomed and elegantly dressed she must have thought herself very important and was trying to say to all who saw her, ‘Look at me, I am so beautiful and lovely’. Well, that is the impression she gave to us as young children and I for one really did think she was worthy of the claim. It was because we felt she thought herself as lovely that we beagan to call her ‘The Lady who loves herself’, amongst ourselves that is. If one of us happened to see her whilst we were looking out of that window we would shout to the others, ‘Come quickly, here’s the lady who loves herself’ and we would all rush to the window to see her. She never once glanced in our direction but always looked straight ahead.

 

It was a few years later and I would be about fifteen or sixteen years old when ‘the lady who loves herself’ was the subject of a conversation. I remember reminiscing about the past with my mum when she told me the truth about those women. It appeared that the older of the two was the mother of the younger lady and that this lady was in fact a man! I had a feeling of excitement when mum told me that because it demonstrated that I could do the same. I could dress as a woman and be passable. Really though, I wanted more than that. I have to admit my disbelief at what mum had told me but she was insistant so I said no more on the subject and ‘the lady who loved herslf’ was never mentioned again.

 

As children we made fun of that lady but we had no idea of the facts and perhaps that was just as well because things could have been worse. That is how children are, they don’t reason that they are hurting someone’s feelings, it is all just fun to them. Most adults would find the subject intriguing and would express their feelings in closeted conversation but some would be openly disapproving. It is difficult being the exception in the normal scheme of things. I felt this way for many years and it was often reflected even if covertly sometimes in my habits and attitude to things in my life. Am I now ‘the woman who loves herself’? In a way I am. I am happy in myself now more than I have ever been.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Transgender | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Rogue traders and vulnerable people.

Posted by Shirley Anne on October 6, 2011

Portrait of old woman sitting by a window.

Image via Wikipedia

You’ve seen the programmes on television, rogue traders seeking lots of money for doing very little work in return. Often these so-called traders are unqualified although some are qualified but choose to rip people off. The most vulnerable are the elderly but many other people can easily be fooled too. The reason that many get deceived is due to a lack of knowing what is involved in carrying out any repairs, if there are any required, how long they should normally take and at what cost. Fictitious scenarios proffered by rogue traders often lead gullible people into parting with vast sums of money without realising they are paying too much for work that has not even been carried out. I went to do a small job for an elderly lady recently and it involved changing a faulty light fitting in her bathroom. She needed a new fitting and I had to purchase one for her. She offered me money which I declined to take explaining that wasn’t the way I operated. I would purchase a suitable fitting and fit it for her. Then, and only then would I expect to be paid but only if she was happy with my work. The point is this, she was ready to part with her money before the job was done and so many older folk are vulnerable in this way. Unscrupulous persons take advantage of this and leave many of the elderly robbed of their money. It is a sign of the times. In years past people were more trustworthy by and large although not everyone was but today there seem to be far more rogues about who do not care how they obtain their money as long as they don’t have to work for it. I enjoy watching programs where these despicable rogues are caught in the act but unfortunately they all seem to escape justice and go on to rob more people of their hard-earned cash.

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, Money, Morality | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Careful what you say

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 28, 2011

· Tancredo Neves Did not take office

Image via Wikipedia

DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?

I SURE DIDNT TILL NOW

Death is certain but the Bible speaks about untimely death!

Make a personal reflection about this…..

Very interesting, read until the end…..

It is written in the Bible (Galatians 6:7):

‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man sow,

that shall he also reap.

Here are some men and women
who mocked God :

John Lennon (Singer):
Some years before, during his interview with an American Magazine, he said:
‘Christianity will end, it will disappear.
I do not have to argue about
that. I am certain.
Jesus was ok, but his subjects were too simple, today we are more famous than Him’ (1966).

Lennon, after saying that the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, was shot six times.

Tancredo Neves (President of Brazil ):

During the Presidential campaign, he said if he got 500,000 votes from his party, not even God would remove him from Presidency.

Sure he got the votes, but he got sick a day before being made President, then he died.

Cazuza (Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet):

During A show in Canecio ( Rio de Janeiro ),
while smoking his cigarette, he puffed out some smoke into the air and said: ‘God, that’s for you.’

He died at the age of 32 of LUNG CANCER in a horrible manner.

The man who built the Titanic

After the construction of Titanic, a reporter asked him how safe the Titanic would be.
With an ironic tone he said:
‘Not even God can sink it’

The result: I think you all know what happened to the Titanic

Marilyn Monroe (Actress)

She was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of a show.
He said the Spirit of God had sent him to preach to her.
After hearing what the Preacher had to say, she said:
‘I don’t need your Jesus’.

A week later, she was found dead in her apartment

Bon Scott (Singer)
The ex-vocalist of the AC/DC. On one of his 1979 songs he sang:

‘Don’t stop me; I’m going down all the way, down the highway to hell’.

On the 19th of February 1980, Bon Scott was found dead, he had been choked by his own vomit.

Campinas (IN 2005)

In Campinas , Brazil a group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend…..
The mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter holding her hand, who was already seated in the car:
‘My Daughter, Go With God And May He Protect You.’
She responded: ‘Only If He (God) Travels In The Trunk, Cause Inside Here…..It’s Already Full ‘
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died,
The car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly, the trunk was intact.
The police said there was no way the trunk could have remained intact. To their surprise, inside the trunk was a crate of eggs, none was broken

Christine Hewitt (Jamaican Journalist and entertainer)
said the Bible (Word of God) was the worst book ever written.

In June 2006 she was found burnt beyond recognition in her motor vehicle.

Many more important people have forgotten that there is no other name that was given so much authority as the name of Jesus.

Many have died, but only Jesus died and rose again, and he is still alive.

‘Jesus’

PS: If it was a joke, you would have sent it to everyone.
So are you going to have courage to send this?.

Jesus said

‘If you are embarrassed about me,
I will also be embarrassed about you before my father.’

Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!!

‘Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus’ name. Amen.’

Then go tell others…………..

Shirley Anne

  • Jesus (brokenaarrow.wordpress.com)

Posted in Behaviour, God, Jesus | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Clean sweep

Posted by Shirley Anne on September 27, 2011

When I was at the doctor’s surgery last week there was a guy in the car park carrying out a valet on a vehicle owned by one of the staff. He was doing it when I arrived and was still doing it half an hour later. I chatted with him and found out that he had suffered a couple of heart attacks and now cleans vehicles instead of his previous job which I didn’t get a chance to ask about. He was starting afresh in life, having a clean sweep as it were. I asked him what he would charge me for cleaning the cab of my van, which is like having half the interior of a large saloon car cleaned. The outside doesn’t need cleaning and in any case I do that myself in about twenty minutes and the carriage area, that is were all my electrical stuff is stored gets a clean out once a year by myself. He told me he would charge £20 which includes shampooing the carpets and seats. He is coming this morning (Tuesday) to do the job.

 Every so often I have a clean-out of my bedroom and in other rooms of the house (although to a lesser extent). I think it is a good idea to have a good clean-out every so often. It is quite amazing what rubbish I find I have accumulated after a short time. My office, that is the room I use for an office, gets cleaned of out-of-date paperwork, invoices etc. although I have to keep the last five years worth of documents for tax purposes. It still leaves a lot of paper to store away. Cardboard boxes keep it under control. When I look back at my life it has always been one in which I have regularly had a clean sweep because it has always been necessary!

Shirley Anne

Posted in Behaviour, House and Home, Maintenance | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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