I feel the need to thank you all for your input.
I also feel the need to say this: Those of you who follow my posts may already know that I was born and raised in Zurich, Switzerland (not Sweden!
) and I have been living and working in the U.K. during the last few years. Before coming to the U.K. I had heard about British chivalry. Where I come from, historically, chivalry is seen as an integral, and indispensable, feature of the British 'gentleman'. Throughout history and literature, flawless manners and polite masculinity are the defining characteristics of the British gent.
Indeed, from the moment I arrived in the U.K. I realized that even in our less-gallant times, the British still aim for appropriate gestures. The battle of the sexes might be over and modern Britain is an egalitarian society - but there is always a time and place for good manners.
Therefore, despite how passionate we feel about an issue, please let us all appreciate the time that people dedicate to explain in detail their experiences in our forum threads. Let’s not become aggressive (even though we disagree), let’s not put them in the corner, let’s not interrogate them, let’s not question their generous incentives to share their experience with us. I am highly appreciative to all of you for your input.
Along these lines, I also feel the need to tell you a little story please.
I have a friend, his name is Chris, he works as a gardener in one of the villages where I live, here in Northamptonshire. Chris is in his 50s and he is a Type 1 Diabetic since he was 25 days old. I doubt if Chris knows what immunology is (I doubt if he can pronounce it, let alone spell it). However, when I come across an obstacle regarding my diabetes and I need advice, I do not call for an appointment with my physician nor with my diabetes nurse.
Instead, I call Chris, the gardener.
I do not even need to finish my phrase explaining the situation to him. He already knows the outcome and can provide the solution.
This is why when it comes to my diabetes handling, I rely on experience (hence my participation in our forum) rather than on certificates. In my view, our condition does not have an elitist character.
I need to thank all of you for participating in this thread and I sincerely apologize to those who might have felt uncomfortable if the discussion took an unpleasant turn.
I wish you all a very beautiful weekend and I hope we can leave this issue here.
Thank you all, my dear friends!
Regards
Josephine