Wednesday 22 October 2008

Is this bad?

I just emailed our Anglican chaplain for this site - who happens also to be an eminent medical professor here - and offered my buglistic services should he require them for Remembrance Day, since, after a gap, the 11th itself falls on a work day this year. I've already got a gig to do it on the Sunday (9th) at the local church so that's OK.

Long-memoried and patient readers will know that I have a minor bee in my bonnet about trumpet players and this tune (or Taps or your own local equivalent), and the sense of duty/service/history/whatever that it offers us. Here I am babbling on about it almost a year ago.

My question is this: was it self-indulgent and putting-yourself-aboutish of me to have offered? I mean on the one hand if he doesn't know he's got someone on site who could do it then he can't say either yes or no: without the information, no decision; and with that knowledge one assumes he's professional enough to just decide depending on his requirements for the day, not on my having volunteered. But, but, but, on the other hand I cannot quite shake the disquieting feeling that it's a bit "look at me", and that an equally good outcome might have been for me to just shut up and leave well alone. You know, fat bloke blowing Wretched Bugle - is it a bit showy-offy? Sigh. Dunno.

I'll be interested to see how the Revd Prof responds. What do you think? Good call, or leave the WB in its case and make a nice cuppa instead?


Update (Friday): I have heard back from Revd Prof Nick and it turns out that there's nothing particular planned for the 11th here, so I can stop worrying. I feel/hope that I did the right thing by offering, and anyway I've got a nice job doing it round the corner, so I think I can put the whole worry back in its box for at least a year (and possibly longer!)

2 comments:

R said...

Excellent call. I think it'd be brilliant if you did some Wretched Bugling this year, you always wish you had and well maybe now you will.

Follower said...

Ha! Stop worrying instantly, and also pass my very best greetings to the Rev'd Prof Dr Nick, with whom I spent many merry hours at Oak Hill College.