Misconceptions

I am boiling over with frustration at the misconceptions and down right ignorant comments made about my city. (Birmingham). It is the UK's second city and my hometown and I feel the need to apologise for this. Perhaps I should go back and fix things. Perhaps my very presence there made things stable.

I had a rather interesting conversation with a work colleague who said she resented the fact that families with children got tax credit and because she was married and childless, she was denied these perks. Strangely, although I have no children and have no intention of ever having any, I don't resent this. Surely, as that rather nauseating song says 'the children are our future'? But perhaps that's only certain children, from certain backgrounds, from a certain, dare I say, class?

Speaking of class, over to my favourite forum: 'Snobs Reunited' (not its real name) a young woman whose screenname is that of a classic Russian novel stated that she couldn't bring herself to become involved in a relationship with someone who is relatively less intelligent than herself. I asked what her definition of intelligence was and, of course, I got the standard 'Why three grade As at A'level, of course.' Oh, dear, ever heard of grade inflation, sweetie? That might explain her own results. Seriously though, that forum has a multitude of members who claim to be straight A students and yet their grammar, spelling and punctuation are atrocious. This young woman also fails to take into account the impact personal circumstances can have on one's academic performance - illness, abuse, alienation. The most intelligent, engaging, charming young woman I have ever met was inpatient with me and didn't have an A'level to her name. She had been sexually abused and had developed a serious eating disorder at the age of fourteen. Sadly, she is no longer a resident on this wonderful planet of ours.

Finally, a message to Royal and Sun Alliance: I will not give up.