Apparently a baby was born this past week. You might have seen it in the papers, or in the news, or on the entertainment shows or talk shows or on Facebook or Twitter…..
That’s the thing about media these days, it’s everywhere and when something big happens it’s multiplied exponentially until it hits sensory overload until you finally proclaim “enough already” and you actually shut off one of your media sources, or at least turn the channel.
So it’s not surprising there’s a bit of a backlash at all the coverage and some might shout out, after suffering through the media onslaught one too many times, “it’s just a baby.”
Well, yes, and no.
Being a father myself I kind of think every birth is a miracle of some sort.
I mean the media gets accused of sensationalizing “all the bad stuff” these days (well likely always and forever but that is what is usually considered news), so when they celebrate what most would consider a good thing there’s an element of an unwinnable situation going on here.
Still, there’s the element of degree of coverage.
There’s the media herd outside the hospital for the birth, then the wait for the name and the first diaper change and the….
A lot of how you feel about this is tied up with how you feel about royalty.
I mean there is that long tradition dating back to when royalty actually ran the country, not to mention the commonwealth, and a lot was riding on this little person’s head.
It’s still significant as this guy’s likeness might end up on our coinage one day, either his or Charles or William’s or then again his great grandmother might just end up reigning forever and ever.
So it’s Prince George.
I would think the fine people of a certain British Columbia city would be quickly dreaming up ways to capitalize on that fact.
They can lord it over that other B.C. city named after some prince named Rupert, and then there’s Albert for that matter, or Edward (although it’s a whole island and even a province).
Apparently George was a favourite going in, among traditionalists which England and the royal family have a few of, so it’s not too surprising (and the other Beatles names, especially Ringo, seemed inappropriate).
And I’m OK with it, like that matters a hoot. I don’t think the world was ready for a Prince North or a Prince Moonbeam or even Prince Glenn, although that has a certain ring to it don’t you think?
But I also know, as a father, that the name game thing could cause great anxiety and consternation (even years later) so when tradition takes the guesswork out of it that might be a good thing for the parents involved.
And it won’t likely be the last time these parents’ hands are tied on how they raise their child.
However there is a price to pay for all that privilege and standing in the world, not to mention taxpayer-funded allowances.
But I do wish the new parents and baby all the best and I do know the fuss will abate in awhile for the good of all involved.
I can’t help but wonder how my late grandmother would feel about all the baby hubbub of the last week or so.
“I wouldn’t walk across the street to see the Queen,” I remember her saying on several occasions.
She was a proud Norwegian, well Canadian really but proud of her roots and culture, and had a bit of a problem with the whole royalty on the public purse sort of thing, which I understood and sympathized with, after all we are a colony no more.
But we also have a tradition and history and a love of life itself, that can all be wrapped up in the symbolism of a birth of a royal baby quite nicely if one is so inclined, so I’m pretty sure grandma would be OK with it all. She might find the coverage a bit much though.
