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Tidying up offerings
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faerygirl
412 posts

Re: Tidying up offerings
May 29, 2010, 11:32
nigelswift wrote:
Hope you all like mosque calls and church bells then else its trouble for everyone! ;)

Well yes, there's a strong case for saying those are intrusive and people mostly tolerate them (but for lots of obvious reasons that can't apply to offerings at megalithic sites).

The other big thing about church bells and mosque calls is that they aren't imposed on the rest of society 24/7, which offerings left at sites are. This is my bacon sandwich point. If offerers came back in half a day and removed the stuff it would at least show a bit of respect to other visitors and people would be a lot more tolerant towards them no doubt. But just going home and leaving whatever they've left to annoy, detract or biodegrade smellily until people with more respect for the site and their fellow visitors remove them (AND get larupped for doing it!) is just a teeny bit naughty. ;)



Like I said, I don't leave anything apart from an echo and wonder around picking up peoples fag butts and sweet wrappers (I did the same thing in India, but its a bit of a losing battle...) I just think it can be difficult to say who is right and who is wrong here. YES you shouldn't leave old socks and scraps of plastic tied to trees at these places, but you have no idea about the situations that have lead to it. Drunken idiots just leaving tat? Most likely. But how about a little girl whos daddy used to bring her up here as a child and she wants to leave something to remember him by.

Everyone seemed very touched and happy about the story of the carved pebble left in memory of a relative but what if EVERYONE did that? You wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the bloody place and then it would be considered tat and moved. What if you cant afford a nice carved pebble but the passed relative loved pottery cows (I'm sorry to keep coming back to the cow, I actually think its a bloody stupid thing to leave but thats not the point)! It shouldnt be any less important because we (the observer) think its less tasteful, it could be just as meaningful.
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