Thank you, Harry and Meghan, for a little self sovereignty of my own.
It was Saturday afternoon. It was quiet in the house. I stood at the sink, gazing out the window as the snow came down. As is my custom, I washed the dishes while waiting for the whistle of the kettle for my tea.
My gloved hands were immersed in the hot water. Suddenly, my smart watch vibrated with urgency, jolting me out of my domestic trance. Thinking one of my family members or friends might need something in a timely manner, I removed my hands from the sink. I took off my right glove and peeled back the left. I squinted to read the tiny screen.
News Top Stories
Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties, Buckingham Palace says.
Really?
Usually my annoyance would be fleeting, but there was something about this interruption that perturbed me through the rest of the weekend.
Why was I so perturbed?
My disdain for that particular message had nothing to do with my opinion of Harry and Meghan’s search for self sovereignty, a journey I support for all human beings.
It’s not about my visceral reaction against our tax dollars going towards their shelter and protection. The Queen has set a clear boundary – she’s good at that – and it should be a breeze for our Prime Minister and government to follow suit.
My reaction may have a little to do with the timing of their initial media play. I raised more than an eyebrow when they distracted and dragged Canada, its inhabitants, and our leaders into the royal spotlight while we were grappling with the deaths of 57 of our compatriots on Flight 752.
I have empathy for Harry and Meghan and their search for an ordinary life, elbows deep in suds on a snowy Saturday afternoon. Is their anything better?
My challenge is that somewhere “out there”, somebody – or more likely some thing – decided that this “top news story” merits delivery to my wrist with the same urgency as an Amber Alert or a false warning of a nuclear meltdown. While most of us think we would welcome the opportunity to stride through the palace gates, I was not cool with their news making it through my front door, directly onto my body.
The tipping point had arrived. Time for a little self sovereignty of my own. Before I sat down to write this morning’s Laura’s Daily Letter, I took the time to change my news notifications. It took one Google search to become queen of my own new boundary.
I’m pretty sure that if something happens that I care about, or affects me urgently, I’ll find out. But it’s going to be on my initiative when I turn on the TV, open social media, or talk to an actual human being.
Thank you, Harry and Meghan, for a little self sovereignty of my own. Now, time to put the kettle on and do this morning’s dishes in a blissful, uninterrupted trance.
