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Tristyn Bloom
Matthew Cantirino
Anthony Esolen
Gene Fant
Greg Forster
Matthew J. Franck
Collin Garbarino
Robert P. George
William J. Haun
Leroy Huizenga
Katherine Infantine
Joseph Knippenberg
David T. Koyzis
Robert T. Miller
Matthew Milliner
David Mills
Mark Movsesian
William Mumma
Nathaniel Peters
R.R. Reno
James R. Rogers
Russell E. Saltzman
Matthew Schmitz
Kevin Staley-Joyce
David Talcott
Anna Williams
After the royal wedding, television footage caught a church caretaker cartwheeling down the aisle where William and Kate wed.
But Westminster Abbey is reportedly displeased that the footage was made public. Britain’s Sunday Mail reported that the caretaker was feeling “fairly chastened” and had been warned not to speak publicly about the incident.
May 2nd, 2011 | 1:21 pm
Not “The Juggler of Notre Dame”, but “The Cartwheeler of Westminster”, huh? But the authorities never learn, do they?
May 2nd, 2011 | 1:47 pm
You know, it wouldn’t be whimsical if it weren’t in some ways out of bounds. He did it, it felt good, he got a talking to. Move along, nothing to see here.
May 2nd, 2011 | 3:20 pm
Okay, I’ll be the skunk at the picnic. If this had been some six year old, I would have found it a cute piece of whimsy. The fact that a middle aged man (that’s not a tonsure on the back of his head) in a cassock did it is something else. It goes in my book from whimsy to childish exhibitionism. It seems to me a perfect example of what the brilliant (if often curmudgeonly) Theodore Dalrymple comments upon here: http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_4_otbie-british_character.html. If you don’t want to read the whole thing here’s a couple of relevant chunks:
“Gradually, but overwhelmingly, the culture and character of British restraint have changed into the exact opposite. Extravagance of gesture, vehemence of expression, vainglorious boastfulness, self-exposure, and absence of inhibition are what we tend to admire now—and the old modesty is scorned. It is as if the population became convinced of Blake’s fatuous dictum that it is better to strangle a baby in the cradle than to let a desire remain unacted upon…..”
“Lack of self-control is just as character-forming as self-control: but it forms a different, and much worse and shallower, character. Further, once self-control becomes neither second nature nor a desired goal, but rather a vice to avoid at all costs, there is no plumbing the depths to which people will sink….”
Just so.
May 2nd, 2011 | 4:36 pm
I hope I never, as long as I live, find myself talking to David C. at a party. YAWN!!!!
May 2nd, 2011 | 4:37 pm
The place looks just about empty. If that young man’s high-spirits were done for private joy and not for public display, does that make a difference in the act? If it was an act of exhibitionism, then why would he feel chastened over having publicized? Surely, it was not exhibitionism if he thought no one was likely to be looking.
May 2nd, 2011 | 5:06 pm
Mark,
Noted. I’ll try not to talk to you at the next “gratuitously insult complete strangers” theme party you put on.
Kate,
It would make a difference to my attitude about it, I think. He seems to be playing to someone (cameras perhaps?) up and to his right.
May 2nd, 2011 | 7:05 pm
It’s just an exuberant expression of joy. Decorum is important, but partly because, when we are really happy, we break it to show just how happy we really are. It’s not a matter of ridding the world of formality and decorum; indeed, without a code of conduct, this kind of “extravagant” expression would be ineffectual background noise. So one can believe in decorum and indulgently–mercifully–smile at this boyish (however old he is)–prank. God bless him.
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