13 Reasons Why; Tape 5, Side A

Just finished watching this with my son. A truly horrific episode.  He is already aware of the importance of consent, and also of the case of Brock Allen Turner with the sentence he was given.  After watching it, we discussed victim blaming and how that has occurred even when there has been photographic/video evidence that the woman was not able to give consent.  

On a lighter note, I took Leia to Highwoods park again today.  She loved it.  It was a shorter walk than before only being an hour, but she enjoyed meeting other dogs as well as the different environment. I think she caught sight of one squirrel today but I cannot be certain.

In addition to this, we did a bit of work dismantling the climbing frame today.  It is now down, and I will need to complete the job over the coming week.

Domestic violence is wrong

Today I was reminded of the violence that I saw at home growing up.

My parents both loved me, and while my father did not care to contact me when I was over the age of 20, I am grateful to what he taught me as a child.

He also taught me how not to be.  

He used to hit my mother, and it was always her fault.  My children know that I do not like violence at home, and when younger, they quickly learned not to blame the person they hit for hitting them. 

13 Reasons Why; Tape 4, Side B

Another day, another side to the tape of Hannah Baker.  This shows a betrayal of trust following a very personal experience.  I have not written poetry since I was in secondary school, but the poem that Hannah wrote was a very personal one.  To have her private thoughts shared to an audience she did not want to see it was a betrayal of trust, one that she had explained the importance of in the episode.  

In itself, would I say that this was a major issue for the mental health of a person?  No, but combined with the other twelve reasons (some of which are milder than others), I can see how someone would be suicidal after such a barrage of insults to their self esteem.

I still consider her suicide to be the cowards way out, and likewise, the effect her death has on those around her is explored in this episode more than it was touched on in the book.

In other news, I took Leia to Highwoods Country Park for the first time.  She loved it.  She got to meet other dogs (she will not obey the guidance on hands face and space) and also had fun chasing after squirrels and birds.  I was impressed when she realised that they would run up trees, though watching her touch a twig with her paw looking up the tree was sweet!

Sneaking time off with my wife

Wednesday is my day were I do my other job.  I have been on holiday from my main job, but have attended meetings already in the days before today so I was able to finish earlier than normal and was able to sit in the garden with my wife.  Leia joined us, but decided not to rest, as can be seen in this video....

With the kids at school, being able to be together without them was a time where we could bond more.  Though I did have to return to do some work after this video was taken, it was great to sit with her in the garden.

13 Reasons Why; Tape 4, Side A

Yesterday my son and I watched this episode. 

It is one which involves some quite mean behaviour.  I think that I got this more watching this than reading the book.

The vindictiveness of the acts towards her no matter what media this chapter was experienced through though is sadly, all too true for too many people.

This Is Us; Her

My wife made me watch this ages ago, and I have been watching it from time to time.  Tonight, I watched the final episode of the third series.  And it made me cry.

When it comes to the men in the series, my favourites, other than Jack of course, are Randall and Toby.  In this series, it appeared that Randall was to break up with Beth.  But thanks to the intervention of one of the characters, he saw sense, as his more sensible wife came to her senses as well.

The point? Deja reminds Randall that he needs to get it together and figure things out with Beth. “Most people don’t win, Randall, but you did—you won the lottery twice. Once when you got adopted and again when you met Beth,” she tells him.

It reminds me of what I said once about my wife.  Well, I said it once and I have continued to say this since then.  The first time that I can remember saying this was after my wife and I got married.  My father-in-law had said that someone who saw the wedding pictures had said that I had won the lottery by marrying into his family.  I responded by saying that I had won the lottery of love. Like Randall in This Is Us.  Like Randall, I won the lottery twice, once when I met my wife, and the time before that was when my Mother left my Father while pregnant.  Thanks to her, I became the person my wife fell in love with.  

For the record, I love both Beth and Randall, but while I disagreed with her in the lead up to this episode (not that Randall was right about things either), I am definitely Team Beth as she shows extraordinary patience in dealing with her husband.

 

My children and the dog are bullies

I was subjected to an unprovoked and brutal assault by my children.  I was trying to help my daughter up from the floor when I slipped, the children and Leia then took the opportunity to attack me.  Allegations that I pinned my daughter down for Leia to lick her are obviously wrong, and so are similar allegations that I did the same to my son later.  What I do not understand is why my dog attacked me by licking me when I am obviously the Alpha.