I got a book about madness out of the library last weekend. The first chapter deals with leper houses and I was talking to herself about this. Don’t tell me you don’t torture your children in similar ways. A lengthy discussion followed about the symptoms of leprosy. Then about leper colonies and how there is a Dublin suburb called “Leopardstown” because the land was used to fund a lepers’ hospital. The following day we visited Dublinia [we had tickets saved from a promotion on milk bottles – are you getting a picture of our home life?] In the, always popular, death and diseases bit there was a wax figure of a leper.
Then today at mass, the readings and the gospel featured -oh yes- leprosy. Herself was listening closely because she was up on the altar doing a try out for altar girl (successful). And the priest was fresh back from his visit to a leper colony in Africa so we covered that in the sermon.
There may be a lesson here somewhere but you’ll have to work it out for yourself.
Time to watch Ben Hur!
I did it the other way round – I’m an avid reader encouraged by parents who themselves rarely read much, so I was always happy to inform my parents about the plague of the week, particularly gory methods of execution in war or other such delights. I distinctly remember some leprosy tales being there as well.
I occasionally wonder what my (otherwise lovely) parents did to deserve hearing all that!
Congratulations to herself on becoming an altar girl!
Really, Ben Hur has leprosy, who knew?
Lauren, that’s very distressing.
H, yes, we’ll have to see how that pans out. Cast of thousands so probably novelty value will remain for a bit as she’s only going to be actually on the altar once every six weeks or so.