Jackie Cameron - Coaching and Communication

This post is in response to the request from Brad Shorr for posts about Cellphone Users and Abusers.

I got my first mobile phone about 10 years ago. It was of course a brick with limited features and I didn’t actually use it  much.  A new job meant that I qualified for a mobile phone at the expense of my employer and I was off and running ! This new job also meant a lot of rail travel. I quickly learned that  some people do not know what private means. I am constantly horrified at what I can hear without trying when travelling on public transport.  One day  I will take a stand and point out it out. But in the meantime - along with my fellow non speaking passengers I will put up with it.

When  I hear someone having an argument on the phone  I feel that my privacy has been invaded. I don’t want to be part of that any more than I would like to be involved in someone else’s fight in the street.

And when someone is talking ( loudly) about business I live in dread of the name of a friend/contact/business associate coming up and suddenly I am implicated in this discussion.

Even the banal chat about last night’s TV can cause anxiety - what if they want to see the back of the very contestant that I want to win Strictly Come Dancing/X Factor/ I’m a Celebrity ( actually I only watch Strictly  …)

And then there is the ” I’m on the train…”  conversations. So what? That’s what texts are for surely?

Now I am sounding like a grumpy old woman. Maybe that’s because I am. I never take a call on the train or bus, I have my ringtone turned off and I will check at the other end of the journey.  My contacts know that  and I am sure that anyone who is ringing out of the blue will be able to wait for an hour ( the longest journey for me).

But you know the reason I love mobile phones is that they allow me to stay connected with my family in a way that was not possible before.  When I am travelling with my husband I can keep in touch with the kids with funny stories or even a pic or just to find out how they are. And of course they can call me - to ask where their favourite shirt is for example! I recall the time I was at an Oasis gig with my daughter at Hampden Stadium in Glasgow . Now if you don’t know the band let me know they are loud !  My phone rang and I saw it was my son - and between blasts of guitar and vocals he asked me how to make cheese sauce for macaroni! That’s that kind of thing that as a Mum I find invaluable

My elderly Mum and Dad both have a mobile though between them I think they make about 3 calls a month and don’t even talk about texting. When they remember to have one of the phones switched on ( they are usually out and about together) then we can contact them ….but it gives me a sense of comfort that they can get us if they need to - no matter where they are.

My husband has resisited using mobile telephony for such a long time it is still a surprise when he calls me - or indeed answers my calls but he is coming along on his texting skills in leaps and bounds as a result of nagging - sorry, I mean coaching -  by his children. They don’t usually want to speak to him but they do want to be in touch!

Really all I want is a little moderation by the other users who I consider to be in the “abuser” category. Then Everybody could be happy. It’s not too much to ask is it?

I must be one of the few people left who - up til today - had not seen the movie about Sir William Wallace played by that well known Australian actor Mel Gibson. So there I was with a pile of ironing to do  and needed something to distract me  ( in a safe way you understand) and found that we had a copy of this movie in Video format.

Within the first few minutes I realised that it had a lot in common with that wonderful whimsical musical Brigadoon. The accents were awful. Not just Mel’s - even the Scottish actors had mixed and confused accents - from Glasgow via the Highlands with a touch or Ireland thrown in.

So instead of being distracted from my ironing - I was being distracted from the story. Now I have to admit  ( to my great shame) that Scottish history is a bit hazy to me. We did learn dates and battles at primary school and I knew the Battle of Bannockburn was in 1314 but that was pretty much it.

A couple of months ago though I went to the Wallace Monument near Stirling. The Wallace story is set out there - with a nod to Braveheart - and it as very interesting. The movie served to whip up Scottish patriotism though - and did it well. My father is English but as a Graham must have originated in Scotland. Like many Scottish families they probably switched sides depending on how things were going.

My worry was that I had always thought of Robert the Bruce as a bit of a hero - but, unless the movie has played fast and loose with facts ( as if) he wasn’t. That story about him and the spider does not sound such a good one to give as an example.

Ho hum. Our brave William carried his beloved’s hankie with him at all times - yeah right. After the most awful battering he ended up with a lovely wee cut in his beautiful forehead. Hmmm.

OK - it was meant to be entertaining not historically accurate. The fact I am writing about it means that it was.

The music and scenery were wonderful.

Enough said.

I was reading the comments about Edinburgh being the best place to live in the UK on the Channel 4 website. Amongst the comments of agreement and congratulations there were several negatives. That is to be expected on a public forum but some of the content got me thinking. There were clearly some tongue in cheek negatives posted by people who say that their hometown is better than Edinburgh  but others included the oft used generalisations including that people in Edinburgh are cold and unfriendly and that Scottish people hate the English. Some people really make decisions on a place based on this sort of thing.

I don’t get this sweeping generalisation thing. All women are not bad drivers, all old people are not grumpy, all young people are not always getting into trouble….you know the sort of thing.  Parking attendants are not bad people - they are doing an unpopular job. Tax officers likewise.

Is it laziness - is it prejudice - is it a defence mechanism?

Or am I just taking this all a bit too seriously?

What do you think?

This summer has been so wet and miserable this far that it is not a surprise that stores are full of unsold stock. The “sales” season seems to already have been going on for several weeks.

I am not a keen shopper. Oh, don’t misunderstand me - I like to buy - but usually I pick up things as I see them. If I ever need something in particular I am guaranteed to search for ever to find it.

But yesterday - with a little time to kill - I wandered into Marks & Spencer.The “SALE” had just started that morning and the place was heaving with women rifling through rails for the perfect bargain. Read the rest of this entry »

I read this week about some research that shows that women are driving in high heels, flip flops, trainers with chunky soles and - heaven help us - bare feet! And that this practice could lead to accidents.

Now I want to make it clear here that I do believe in safe driving practices and I my own driving seriously.

But hang on…I know a lot of women - and I don’t know one single on who changes her shoes for driving….and I  can’t find statistics which show the number of accidents caused by shoes (worn by men too  - the trainers and flip flops but not the high heels though if that works for them….). Read the rest of this entry »