Her Excellency
Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor General of Canada has written her memoirs. Ms. Clarkson has certainly enjoyed a life of respect, privilege and renown, and as such has ample memories and experiences to share with the Canadian public and any other interested readers. To be perfectly fair to the regal Adrienne Clarkson, she conducted herself with royal aplomb befitting her role as Governor General, the Queen's presence in Canada.She was articulate, spirited, generous, and acquitted herself right royally. Her sensitibity to the issues of importance to Canada, and to her constitutents throughout the country, from small east coast towns to the far reaches of our frozen north was always much in evidence. She endeared herself to the members of our armed forces of whom she was a royal patron, as an integral part of her position, representing Queen Elizabeth II.
She was an absolute credit to Canada in her forays abroad, representing Canada to the world at large. She was a credit to herself in her unerring ability to discern the method and manner of her representations, both at home and away. Her grace of person and presence made an indelible impression on all who saw her, whether directly in person or through the medium of photographs or television coverage.
Her presence at moments of great significance, the War Memorial at our national day of mourning our brave armed services personnel of wars past; her presiding presence during the investitures of new governments. Her graciously regal presence when welcoming to Canada members of the international community; world leaders, diplomats representing their disparate countries.
She did us proud.
She is now doing herself and her loyal supporters a grave disservice by having published her thoughts and apprehensions of her years as Governor General of Canada. Dignity and protocol demanded of her that she leave any history of her time in that position to posterity through the neutral lens of historians. Her personal opinions and reminiscenses of slights and aberrations should have remained in her personal memory, not for publication or public recounting. She has erred, and by so doing has marred her own personal history in the many posts she succeeded so admirably to fill.
And more's the pity.
Not for her to show and tell. She defiles the dignity of her past position, as well as her current one, now a by-product of history. The manner in which she has written of her experiences bespeaks a smaller mind and presence than that her admiring public celebrated. Her loss - and ours. If and when she had disagreements with others in the execution of her duties as she saw fit, she should have filed her indignation away deep in the reserves of memory, never to see the light of day.
She saw fit not to. The reason, alas, is that she is and always has been all too human. A slight is never to be forgotten nor forgiven, nor ascribed to inadvertence or lack of adequate communication. It is to be nursed, to be dredged up at some opportune time to reflect poorly on others, but not herself. Alas, in the process she has managed to reflect poorly on herself; others can be excused, her abrogation of the duties of her office, even post-office, cannot be readily excused.
In setting out very distinct instances where she has been disappointed by the behaviour of others whom she feels did not sufficiently respect her office and herself as office holder, she descends to the very same level that she so abhors. Some of the incidents she relates reflect badly upon her for other, and quite obvious reasons; that she thought too highly of herself personally and her influence on world leaders and affairs of the world - without due cause.
Ms. Clarkson's book, Heart Matters, glosses over her inadequaces as a human being, as a mother, as being of no purport in the greater scheme of things. Unfortunately she has got everything askew; it is her values and behaviours as a human being that are found wanting, and thus she has stained her own reputation.
Pity.
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, September 09, 2006
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