I forgot about Philippa Gregory!

In my haste to graduate, find a job, buy a car and start a little life, I neglected to resume reading the work of one of the greatest historical fiction writers of this generation.

Known primarily by non-historical fiction readers for her widely-popular The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory has written eight additional novels including The Constant Princess, which I just finished last night. This novel chronicles the life of a character I haven’t really thought about previously – Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife – and shines light on her life.

Tudor England is the period Gregory focusses on in most of her novels. The illustrious reign of King Henry VIII is infamously filled with love, sex, drama, violence and vengeance. Throughout his 38 years as ruler, women were constantly vying for his affections – and, of course, the title of Queen. It was a time when one woman could be unceremoniously dumped onto the street with a whispered word from another, which makes any story from this period fascinating reading.

The Constant Princess provides a fictionalized account of Katherine’s life, beginning when she was five years old and continuing until the beginning of the end of her marriage to Henry. The novel is filled with rich details and descriptive paragraphs, making it all too easy to believe that the Katherine portrayed in the novel was really what the Queen of England was like.

Throughout her career, Gregory has received quite a bit of criticism. Historians especially have chastised her for not sticking to history as much as she claims to. When I read accounts of people complaining that “it couldn’t have really happened like that,” I just laugh. We’re talking about people who lived in the 15^th century. We have no IDEA how it “really” happened.

I think that Gregory writes fantastic historical fiction. She does her research to ensure people, places, major events and incidents are correct and factual. Then, she takes everything she has read about a person and creates a character.

Katherine of Aragon’s character in The Constant Princess is believable and interesting. It makes me want to learn more. Next, I plan to read The Boleyn Inheritance, and I’m sure it will be just as fantastic – if not better.

Weddings: what is right?

Over the past few years, I have attended a number of weddings. I am one of those people who cry during the ceremony – whether I know the couple well or not – so it’s no surprise that I’ve enjoyed myself at each and every event.

What I’ve found interesting is that each wedding I attended was so completely different from all of the others. I think I’ve seen a complete range – from inexpensive yet personal, to thoroughly expensive and trendy. This range of experiences has left me highly confused, and I honestly have no idea what the “right” type of wedding consists of.

Four years ago, my friends Matt and Leah were married. They were the first of our friends to tie the knot, so they had the daunting task of planning the first wedding. Deciding to be unique and original, their marriage ceremony was conducted amongst the ruins of the St. Boniface Monastery. And, to make the setting even more magical, the bride was escorted in via horse and carriage.

It was completely unorthodox, yet inexpensive, gorgeous and magical.

A few months ago, friends Tyler and Kristen were married at St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Nassau Street. The church was chosen specifically for its aesthetic value, because it boasted gorgeous, stained glass windows, a long, center aisle, and a collection of church bells to announce the exit of the newly-married couple.

It was also unorthodox, as neither bride nor groom actually attends that particular church, yet it was definitely magical.

And a few weekends ago, friend’s Kelvin and Tavia were married in the bride’s childhood Catholic church. It was her Reverend who conducted the ceremony, and members of her congregation who led the audience in song and prayer. The ceremony was very traditional, but that is exactly what the couple wanted.

When thinking about the reception, I have experienced everything, including local community centres, banquet halls in hotels, church basements and country clubs. There have been cash bars, open bars, gigantic centrepieces, colourful cakes, dessert bars and even candy and chocolate buffets.

There seems to be no guidelines whatsoever when it comes to the reception, and anything a person imagines can be created.

I will admit... I really DO care about the cake...

So what is considered to be an acceptable cost for a 20-something’s wedding in the 21^st century? According to Wiki Answers, anywhere between $25,000 – 50,000 is acceptable for the “common person.” A friend who is currently in the process of planning his wedding told me that $12,000 (including honeymoon) was what his day will cost.

I like the second option much better…

I guess there really is no right or wrong answer, and each couple is free to plan (and spend) what works for them. In the past, a wedding has been an illustration of the wealth of the couple – and their parents. Not anymore. Personally, I think I’m making a more positive example of my financial situation by holding a thrifty yet personal wedding while saving enough money to purchase a house soon after my nuptials.

Are publicized death images necessary?

A few months ago, my childhood friend Mac went back to Afghanistan for his second tour with the Canadian Military.

Before he left, we said a lengthy goodbye. What began as a light-hearted “remember the time when…” chat turned into a detailed discussion about war, its destruction and the people who are left behind to pick up the pieces.

We began talking about various dictators of the 21^st century – a topic that was prompted by the capture and death of Osama bin Laden. At the time of our talk, it had only been a few months since his death, meaning the knowledge of his departure was still reasonably fresh in both our minds.

This topic then lead us to discuss our feelings about the publication of high-profile death photographs, videos and images. It is a subject that I’m sure everyone has an opinion about, and if we consider the recently-published gruesome death photos of Muammar Gaddafi, it’s definitely topical.

In the case of Osama bin Laden – who was shot and killed on May 2, 2011 – the actual photographs of his dead body were withheld from both the public and the media. Many factors have been stated as the reason U.S. President Obama decided not to publish the images, including fears it would show a lack of respect and could lead to an angry backlash from extremists.

Makes sense to me.

Next, remember Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi government openly released a video of his December 30, 2006 hanging. In addition, a low-resolution cell phone video capturing Hussein both before and after the execution was illegally downloaded to YouTube, and I believe it’s still available if you search hard enough. Finally, the Iraqi government also released post-mortem photos of Hussein’s body in a shroud.

Was all that really necessary?

We can also take a brief break from dictators and turn to celebrities. Dr. Conrad Murray is still on trial for involuntary manslaughter as a result of singer Michael Jackson’s suspicious death on June 25, 2009. During his trail a few weeks ago, post-mortem autopsy photos of Jackson were shown in the courtroom. Later, they were released to the media and are still available online today.

The photos of the deceased Jackson are sad, disgusting and uncomfortable to look at. Even though it was necessary to show them in court to illustrate Jackson’s health prior to his death, there was no reason for them to be published for the whole world to see.

People – as a general rule – have a fascination with morbidity. We rubber neck while driving past a car accident, and we stop and stare at a homeless person asleep on the sidewalk. It’s just our nature. I’ve been guilty of staring at a few awful things in my day, and I’m willing to admit that I’ve been appallingly fascinated. But just because we’re interested doesn’t mean it is the right thing to do...

My little book of history

I have literally spent years of my life immersed in the study of history.

Even before I declared history as my major at the University of Manitoba, I was buying books, watching shows and conducting Internet searches related to topics of interest. My notes about the Titanic filled five binders, and my books on the World Wars weighed as much as a small child.

In total, I must have written about 30 historical academic papers during my time at the U of M. I could tell you all about the rise and fall of the Soviet Union without stopping to think, and I could explain the importance of D-Day in a way that would make you want to jump up and cheer.

Remembering dates was always a specialty of mine, and I could pretty much recite the day, year, and occasionally, time of most important events throughout the 20^th century. I was a walking encyclopedia of historical information, and I loved it.

Unfortunately, if you don’t use it you lose it.

I can still remember the overall concepts of what I learned in university. The parts that I’ve become a bit shaky on are the details. For example: I can recite the overarching themes and dates of the First World War, but I don’t remember the specific battles or people involved.

Now that I’m no longer a student, I have time to revamp my historical knowledge. To some people, this may seem like a silly waste of time. But, when you spend four years of your life learning something, it’s a bit difficult to simply walk away.

Meet my little book of history.

Last night, I grabbed one of the many gorgeous yet unused journals I have in my possession, and started writing. With my laptop on my left and my journal on the right, I researched all the dates that I used to know but have forgotten. Carefully, I copied them into this new book – with small yet descriptive explanations included.

Now, my task is to carefully research major historical moments (such as the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the Rise of the Iron Curtain or the Chernobyl Disaster), and record the details in the book. I will create some sort of fancy colour-coded tab system to keep everything organized, but my goal is to have a book filled with everything I used to know.

Every evening, I will record another historical moment in the book. The plan is also to carry this book around at all times – in case I have a few free moments where I can Google a date or two.

This might sound slightly psychotic, but anyone who knows me will get it…

Bullying is not OK

At work this morning, I took a few minutes to cruise the headlines on The Huffington Post. As I scrolled past mentions of suicide bombings and the latest Occupy Wall Street update, a headline caught my eye.

Ottawa Teen Suicide: Bullying Was a Factor, Says Father

Not again.

Lately, the news has been thoroughly congested with stories about teenagers who decide to cut their lives short as a result of the abuse they receive from their peers. And wasn't it just a few weeks ago that lady Gaga held a tribute concert for a suicide victim?

With all of the suffering we already have in this world, why do children feel it is alright to add the unnecessary and painful act of bullying into the mix? As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I scrolled through many horrible news stories before stopping on the one about Jamie Hubley.

We already experience enough tragedy in our daily lives – bullying just isn’t necessary.

My heart goes out to the family of 15-year-old Jamie Hubley. I hope that you will be able to find peace after this tragedy.