With time on our hands, we've been watching some DVDs which Marilyn picked up at the library. One of them was the American series Mad Men which we note won all sorts of awards. I can't understand why: it was awful - wooden acting and tedious production. Maybe it's because we only had the last five episodes of Series 1 so we came in late. We won't bother to look for the rest.
At the moment, we're watching Goodnight Sweetheart. Great fun!
We had decided we wouldn't watch Q and A last night. It's one of the few shows I hate to miss but Eric Abetz was on and I find his cold, clinical manner difficult to deal with. He and I have crossed swords in the past regarding funding for Giant Steps and he made it clear that he would not be sympathetic to requests for extra support.
I suppose I was a little sensitive because one of my boys from Giant Steps was buried yesterday. He was only 24 but his life had been a constant struggle. His whole family moved from South Australia to enrol him at Giant Steps. They gave up their home, careers and family support to give him the best chance they could. His brother and sister left their school, friends and social life to start again in a Tasmanian country town. That sacrifice is typical of what families of disabled children face all the time.
The funeral was a celebration. In his coffin were things which were important to Brett: small toys, building blocks, and even a tin of baked beans. One of my strong memories is of Brett bringing a tin of baked beans for his lunch and eating them cold straight from the tin. There's something Egyptian about taking little treasures and food into the afterlife.
Sadly, the priest made a faux pas. In his homily, he told about a man he met who was born with no arms nor legs. 'How do we refer to people like you?' asked the priest. 'Do we say you are retarded or do you prefer disabled?' Have you noticed, father, it's the 21st century?
By the way, Q and A was saved by the presence of Heather Ridout, a fine example of a modern, intelligent woman.
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