It’s all Greek to Me!

During my most recent “outing” with CU, I got to thinking (and yes it hurt) about how my two main passions in life can sometimes cross over into each other. While one teaches you how to be ill and injured, the other hopefully makes you better! Even my third passion in life can be interlinked here; normally because every council meeting makes my heartbeat race that little bit more!

Being in CU means that we get to help people like St. John, the Red Cross and Paramedics to train their members. I have on more than one occasion been handled (or mishandled in some cases!) by St. John members, I’ve also done my fair share of handling CU members myself; hopefully all successfully! Although the less said about the manhandling the better in my view, could get a girl in trouble if you ask me!

Anyways, as I’m sat here thinking about how I was treated during the course of the day; a few things sprang to mind about the whole experience. Normally when you are in an exam you have a certain way to act, both as casualty and indeed person doing the treating. There is a right and wrong way to do the treating so that you will pass, but in this case they had to talk to the examiner a lot.

This give me a great chance to sit back and take it all in, I was able to listen in and allow the paramedics to go through what I would assume would be their “check list.” But as the lovely young paramedic used words I won’t even try to repeat... (“Take the thingamajig and check her wotsits, and don’t forget her ugimaflip...”) I realised it all sounded pretty scary. Now to most normal people it would be scary anyways, but we all know I am not normal... I’ve been in St. John for far too long now!

I can clearly remember looking around the room in between being treated and seeing a scoop, spinal longbaord, FernoTrac and a TED... all of which make me feel like I have a nasty case of the “lergie!” When we do training at St. John we something get to use TED’s, KED’S, RED’s and Neil Robertson’s... I am sure somewhere in the back we also have FRED’s, NED’s and LED’s; I just hope that none of us need that little used (or indeed end up) DED in the cupboard which housed Napoleon! (Or Boney as I liked to call him!)

We can get COPD, MCADD & AAA; all of which can leave you feeling SAD, MAD and very BAD!! It all brings a whole new meaning to the saying; “I dunno what your problem is, but I bet it’s hard to pronounce!” And all of which fills me with fear if I am honest with you, but then I am not the only one who gets a case of “worditis!” A fear of saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing, not knowing what someone is saying; or the worst by far... looking and feeling stupid and dumb!

It all led me to think about just how and why this all happened, some people call it “dumbing down;” while others call it speaking plain English... and then we have the trend that seems to be happening of late, making things sound more important than they actually are! And just what is a “Machine Minder” anyways? Since when did machines need minding?

And just what in the blue heck does an “Intranet & E-Services Officer” in the Police do? Will they be arresting PC’s and Laptops if they are seen to be breaking the law? Are we now all going to be safe from gangs of laptops roaming the streets late at night, from harassing law abiding citizens? Is it just me or does everyone seem to want to be called something else in their job titles? What happened to the good ol’ bin men? That’s right; they got turned into refuse operatives!

And of course it isn’t just medical stuff and job titles that big words are resigned too! Everywhere seems to do it now, even some of us “common folks” do it... our politicians are, without doubt some of the worst offenders though! With more than their fair share of long complicated words and “jargon” used to confuse, confound, baffle and bamboozle us voters!

Having sat in the last three Overview and Scrutiny meetings at our local council, trying to understand it all; I can conclude that I understood Jack Shitt... even when I was asked if I enjoyed the meeting, I had to lie and say yes! Of course I did enjoy them, but I never understood a thing! And that’s my point; I could not say that, I could not bring myself to say... “I didn’t understand a thing!” As far as I can tell, we are going to be getting housing just not how people want it... I think!

This politics thingy all seemed so much easier when I was sixteen I must admit; the thought of getting into that world at thirty two (when I am older and I have forgotten more than I ever actually knew!) seems actually quite scary! I am thankful to those people I can count of for help and advice, there are members of every party who are willing to help me understand when I need it; which I can assure is needed.

But it still does not detract from the fact big long words can scare people, especially if they are unwell or afraid. In my last “exercise” of the day, I was treated by a couple of paramedics who looked me well and dealt with my injuries also well... at least that’s what I think happened to me! For all I know they could have been talking about last night’s telly or what they had for tea! Of course they were talking about how best to deal with my trauma, I’m sure; thought what a dis BLS (or whatever the heck they said) means, is anyone’s guess!

Now don’t get me wrong, I think the English language is wonderful; where else can you find a million and one different ways to say I Love You, I Hate You or I Miss You? And who doesn’t love a politician who can blast the opposition out of the water with their clever words? It’s surprisingly good fun when you watch local councillors, play with their words to defend or attack their colleagues or opponents! (They shall remain nameless to protect their identities, but Robin Hood knows who he is; as does the big cuddly teddy bear at the back... but that one is just a rumour!)

Over the past few weeks before the summer break our LCR (see, even I do it!!! The Learning Rescore Centre ~ Library for short!!) at my college has been doing a “Word of the Day” where each day they have a different word, and its meaning; though some of them flummox me!

When all is said and done though, the English language can be both fun and scary at the same time. But as long as we don’t get our KED’s and TED’s mixed up with our COPD’s and MCADD’s, or flummoxed by our FESS’s (with thanks to a job advertised by the Red Cross in last Thursday’s Chron & Echo) then we should all be A OKAY!!!

When you think about it, it’s all Greek to me!

Now where did I put my walking dictionary?

Mr. Clarke & Mr. Dickie... a reply gentlemen!!!

Anyways, my point seems to have been lost. Yes Mr. Woods has broken the rules, yes he made an “error of judgement” etc. And as such that should and I am sure will be dealt with in the correct manner.

Yes he probably should have said sorry sooner, and maybe he should have just said he did not get round to sorting it out or whatever. He did not and shall have to live with it and deal with it in the best way that he can, that is the cross he shall have to bear.

My point is that everyone seems to be more interested in turning it into a political witch-hunt, with a lot of attention based upon back stabbing and focusing on the fact that he comes across as arrogant etc. (I’ll point your attention Tony to the conversation we had a few months back where you said, “Socially me & Tony Woods get on alright...”)

I agree that sometimes he can seem arrogant, hard to approach, cold and hard to talk too. Again, this is something he has to deal with; he will have to live with this when it matters most. In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with being “different” to everyone else; what kind of world would it be if we were?

If I had believed what others say about yourselves and other council members, then this conversation would not be taking place! Life is about making your own path, choices and decisions. Had I not done this I would have lost out on a good friend in you Tony, having seen you as a stubborn bully and (in some cases) nothing more than a mindless thug...

Had I believed what others said about you John, I would have missed out on someone I could spend hours talking to and someone I could learn a lot from; having only seen you as some scruffy useless muppet. (You know I mean that with affection right? Lol...) the point is, I made my own decision about you both; I chose to come talk to you both and am glad I did so.

I am glad that I have been able to make my own mind up as to where I want to be politically, it has not always been an easy choice to make; in truth, I still am not sure 100% if it has been the right one yet... I will have to live with that though; I am told that is what being an adult is all about... (Wait, I am an adult? When did that happen and how do I make it stop?)

While Mr. Woods may have made an “error of judgement” and that he should have sorted it out sooner etc. I cannot understand why there really does seem this need to assassinate his character as a human being, why does it have to have something to do with this matter?

Is that not making the matter something of a political hand grenade? If so, have you not just proved his point that the matter is politically motivated? Did you both not feel “victimised” when all that “stuff” with the Labour party kicked off? Surely you must know what it is like to be “witch hunted” by your political rivals?

Why does it always seem to be that one party needs to “score points” off the other? And as an independent Tony, would you not want to be the “better man” in all this and be different? I can understand it in national politics, I can even understand it in the council chamber to some extent... (And for the record, I stuck up for you when Woods had a go at you that meeting about being a 5th rate councillor!) But does it always have to be about a man’s (or woman for that matter) character? Whatever happened to if they could do the job or not?

These are, however just my non-political views for what they are worth; (not much I am sure) hope no offense was caused. In my own humble opinion, while he has done wrong and will be punished for it; his character as a man is something only he can (and someday) will have to deal with. Like all of us really, only we can chose to be who we are and who we want to be!