Watching – much against my will
– an extract from the last X Factor series with a family member recently I was reminded of an
old piece of journalism which caused uproar at the time, but which I have
always admired.
In Another Voice, Auberon Waugh’s Spectator
column, he once complained that Bruce Forsyth’s return to TV screens was indicative
of the feeble-minded state of a country he now wanted to flee. And by the time
the column was in print he had - albeit only to his summer home in France
On Waugh’s return he found a
letter from a woman who wrote to say that his reminder of the Forsyth Factor
had been the last straw, and that she now intended to kill herself. Waugh
quickly wrote to try and offer some solace, but his letter was returned
unopened, and he subsequently learnt she had indeed done as she said.
There was outrage when he
revealed all this in a subsequent column, but I cannot help admiring the style
and dignity of the woman. I am only sad that she felt things were so bad that
she couldn’t go on.
For as Waugh concluded: “There
are countless horrible things happening all over the country, and horrible
people prospering but we must never allow them to disturb our equanimity or
deflect us from our sacred duty to sabotage and annoy them whenever possible.”
Sound advice indeed.
By all means, comfort
the disturbed if it gives you pleasure. But if your time is limited, first make
it your priority to disturb the comfortable.
