A Ramble through Smilie Land

So I became a statistic today 28/05/2009. Now before anyone reads any further I am physically 100 % OK its only my soul and my purse that are hurt really.

I was robbed. Sort of. And I am going to get billed for it. Definitely.

At 4 o’clock this afternoon I decided to go return books to the library including the 1833 edition of Belinda by Maria Edgeworth in Two Volumes. And several heavy management and cost accounting books.

So I was walking. And someone got into my bag. And they didn’t get my money which was under the heavy accountancy book but they left the bag open and Volume one fell out or was taken.

Now I only realised this when I heard volume 2 hit the ground and whirled around saved it. What kind of people don’t tell someone their bag is hanging open? And people just walked past the book on the floor (volume 2 that is) No-one offered to help or anything. I guess I’m lucky people walked around it.

Anyway I carry onto the library which was about 2 minutes away return the books and try and convince myself Id left it at home. So I retrace my steps. Go into Oxfam where I had been less than 15 minutes before now I go in there everyday more or less to see the books, so the guy knows me and he reckoned he’d have noticed if my bag was hanging open and said something. So I have narrowed it down to a fairly short distance where the ‘incident’ occurred.

Anyway I get home having retraced my steps and rip the house to shreds. Not here. Still semi calm I ring the library explain someon got into my bag to rob me and the book is now gone.
Response: “Well we will have to bill you for that then. Come in tomorrow to sort it out but try the police first someone might turn it in.”
Ok close phone.


Now I am beging to loose it unfortunately all the members of my regular support group are unavailable ( I HATE ANSWER MACHINES AND VOICEMAIL , have I ever mentioned that?) and the rest of the support team weren’t online. I also HATE the DONOT DISTURB/busy setting on things.

SO I Lost it.

I haven’t cried like that in 11 years, baby cousin dying, Grandfather dying, serious family illness, moving away from my best friend and one count of serious depression- oh and a broken foot. None of it. If youd asked m yesterday( well daybefore) I’d have said I can’t cry anymore or get mad really. I have an acute sense of the ridiculous and generally end up laughing within a minute or 2.

Not this time.

So I stumble down stairs get my flatmate out of bed and proceed to sob for the next 10 minutes , calm down ( or I thought I was ) but still to dazed to think how to get hod of the police. Stumble back upstairs by this time Port of call #1 (aka the mother unit) is finally off the phone, ( had to doge little sistesrs questioning though to get hold of her) and she finds the poplice for me on the tinterwebs.
Movbing on call the police. This was NOT cool. I got shuted from person to person. And I figure I must have been ios somekind of shock because I know IU wasn’t making sense. And I couldn’t understand a word the first 2 people said to me. Finally get through to someone who asks me questions, namely did you see anyone, or feel the bag being opened. Answer well no, but I noticed all the books shift but didn’t stop because it was crowded and I just wanted to get on get the heavy bag emptied and I was in sight of the campus by then.

Police lady: take this log number
Me : eh dyslexic I need my flatmate for this.
Run back down stairs wake up flatm,ate AGAIN ( actually she wasn’t sleeping but we are all librarians and the amazon orders began arriving last Thursday and we have all pretty much kept to poutr beds reading to bizarre oclock) .
Now I have a log number. On a postit sstaring at me as I look at the screen. The police know who I am. That is WRONG!


Anyway I have since been back onto the police 4 times, all the major libraries in Manchester that were still open by this time (7oclcock)
I couldn’t be bothered to cook and so I went to get take out. I thought i was fineish by this time having been talked down by Niamh. Ehh no . I only just got out of the take out without bursting into tears AGAIN!


But you know what really gets me?
WHAT KIND OF SOCIETY DO WE LIVE IN?!!!!
I can deal with someone trying to rob me , I can even deal with someone trying to hurt me BUT there were dozens and dozens of people there and NONOE NONE said excuse me your bag is hanging open. Its only the nice thing to do. The civil thing, the RIGHT thing.
Like grabbing a child who is about to run infront of a bus, or aren’t we meant to do that anymore either.?


BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAA



I really don’t like people or real life!

2 out of every 3 students in Manchester is a victim of crime.

I am now a statistic.


Suitably I was humming a depressing song at the time so the sound track for the day is Early One Morning ( You might recognise it from Buffy, or its mentioned in I capture the castle –the book that is- and it features quite largely in the very good book I read for breakfast, The Knife of Never letting Go).
Neither of these is my version but sort of in betweenish. ( less mushy than the second, is mine, but with the number of verses of the second, but with the chorus Oh don’t deceive me.. like the first between every section. ( like with all folk songs there are many versions)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0PBeORY6Ek
( you might as well stop at 2:00 its just instruments after that)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyw753tteYQ

I am best talking it makes me try and see the funny side, this is what I do if I let myself brrod in slience I wont be able to get over it.

So does anyone see a funny side to this story I really need one?