Ethical approaches

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 13 May 2006 22:27:57

Tractor Girl, I'll bear your advice in mind as I woffle my way through the essay previously mentioned. But 'if I ruled the world' - (can you imagine it; nothing would ever get done!) the 'Why Don't We Sit Down and Discuss This over a Nice Cup of Tea?' approach to ethical issues would be compulsory for all.

Have a peep at 'Mr Miff on Tour,' where you'll find the standard of blogging has improved no end since I invited Mr M himself to join the team. With less than a week to go to the off, he's busy sorting out his worldly goods into what can be packed into two panniers, plotting out routes, leaving instructions for any and every eventuality here with us, (principally lists of B and B places). Mrs Miff Snr (we were up in Godiva Land earlier today) has make no secret of the fact that she worries about him wandering off round the continent ON HIS OWN. She's convinced that he'll turn into a recluse. I tried to reassure her by reminding her that loads of folk do the grand tour nowadays (it's called a Gap Year). The fact that Mr Miff is having his Big Adventure about 20 years later than most people is neither here nor there. It's all very exciting, although as the time draws near, I'm starting to feel every so slightly wobbly about the next 6 weeks or so. It's the longest Mr M has ever been away for a start. Plus he himself has said he's trying hard not to think of all the things that could go wrong. And he has no one travelling with him; no backup team. I can just imagine yours truly puffing and panting her way several miles behind him on some mountain road. Still, if my younger brother can do the Plymouth-Dakhar run in an old crock of a Trabant and live to tell the tale, Mr M should be OK!

Shortly after we got back this evening, Ms Miff barring Miffdog from entering the garden, before spending 15 minutes or so burning mysterious pieces of paper in an upturned dustbin lid. And then photographing the lot. On questioning her, it transpires that the proceedure is part of her Final Major Project ( a good grade on which her place at Chelsea depends). So for reasons connected to said project, she'd set up a confessional at college last week. Tonight's pyrotechnics were the results of this, as she destroyed the evidence of her fellow students' sordid secrets. Lest you jump to the conclusion that I'm harbouring another little sunbeam, (see earlier entry about Mstr Miffy) let me explain that one of her set pieces involved demonstrating the use of propoganda. I'm hazy on the exact details, but cleanliness being next to Godliness came into it somewhere. Though what the latest Alpha stickers had to do with that is anybody's guess. She seized on the pack of freebies that came with Alpha News with an eagerness that if I'd been more on the ball at time would have seemed suspicious - and announced her intention of sticking them up at college. In the most inappropriate places. Sigh. And here was I thinking that light had dawned.

Although, to be honest, the thought of an all- singing, all-dancing, Alphabized Ms Miffy is too horrifying to contemplate. Who knows what might happen one day, but somehow I don't think it'll happen along conventional lines. 'God moves in mysterious ways' after all.

And on to me. You know, this blog would make for far more interesting reading if only I could be bothered to stir myself and update more often. It goes with the procrastination, you know. Or according to that daft Sins questionaire, Sloth. 60% :(. Terminal embarrassment. Anyway, in a vague and woolly attempt to remedy this I thought it was about time to blog a little more about the mysterious 'Seabird' references I've been making recently. As so far, only Rosamundi knows much about it (and that's not much either so far). IRL, not many folk have been told yet - partly because it's early days, and I'm still thinking things out at the moment. And being a shy, retiring Miffy, I tend to keep stuff like this very close to myself, as I'm never quite sure how I'm going to feel if people react adversely or even disinterestedly. On the odd occasion when I do let info out, I come away feeling as if something has been torn out of me, leaving me rather too exposed and vulnerable for comfort.

Anyway. Seabirding. IOW comitment. Over the last few months I've been making enquiries about joining the Anglican Third Order Franciscans TSSF European Province . Indeed, I'm still making enquiries. Given that I've had it vaguely at the back of my mind for at least two years now and that procrastination is one of my giftings ;), I shall be making enquiries for some considerable time yet! Luckily, you're given plenty time in which to make up your mind. I think I said in an earlier entry that once I'd got to a meeting and actually met some of the people involved I felt far more confident about the whole idea. And I've a feeling that what I encounter there, and how other folk I know react to my search is going to contribute a great deal to any decisions to go further. Practicalities may make some of this difficult. As some of you may know, I'm a non-driver, and Franciscans being fairly thin on the ground where I live, meetings tend to be quite a distance away. Given this, I'm aware that it might take some considerable time to get to know my local group as well as I know, say, my church homegroup. And the last thing I want it to become is yet another 'thing' that has to be crammed into an already crowded timetable.

In other words, I'm going to be needing a good many 'Miffy - GO FOR ITS!' over the next few weeks and months, as I try to keep in mind the many reasons why I felt drawn to this in the first place, and firmly squash the big, scarey, 'What if's?!'