Chez Spud

I’ve said it before but it’s worth repeating….this….man…is…a…god. The end.

EU President, blogger, writer of haikus and all round jolly good bloke Herman van Rompuy continues to dazzle me with his general brilliance. He’s not afraid to ring the changes, switching an EU summit meeting to the intimate surroundings of an old Belgian library, banning huge entourages and forcing EU leaders to actually sit next to each other.  He’s a man of bold moves.

Last week Saint Hermy demonstrated his true statesman like qualities with some elegant posturing in the face of hysterical mud flinging by a naughty British MEP  (Nigel Farage) who called Our Hero a ‘damp rag’, ‘a low-grade bank clerk’ and accused him of being a ‘quiet assassin of European democracy and of European nation states’. Finally, he called Belgium as a ‘non-country’. Nice. Makes me so proud to be British…

Not one to get his knickers in a twist over nothing, Hermy has said that he ‘pities’ Nigel Farage, according to the BBC site. “I found it so ridiculous that I was not even really angry…I feel pity for that kind of behaviour and that kind of man, that’s all.’ I’m wondering if he gave a little nonchalent shrug of the shoulders when he said, ‘that’s all’….I do hope so. And perhaps a kind of weary sigh? The temptation to get down and wrestle in the mud must surely be overwhelming for most people in such situations. That he chose to shrug it off and cleverly allow his opponent to make himself look absolutely ridiculous is a genius masterstroke. Queue wild applause and general cheering.

He’s understated, wise, calm, confident and self-assured. He might not be the most charismatic of leaders but he certainly has the most grace. Apparently his popularity in that ‘non country’ Belgium has never been higher after his handling of Farage-gate. He turned the other cheek and came out smelling of roses whilst Mr Nigel Fargo MEP looks like a grubby little schoolboy slinging insults. Worse, he refused to apologise for his tirade of insults and was fined by the European Parliament. Hopefully he was given detention too…100 lines and extra prep.

But what fascinated me the most about this story was this paragraph,

In his [Rompuy's] writings, he has quoted the saying “Forgive your enemies, but don’t forget their names,” adding that it is one he has applied in practice.

“It is one he has applied in practice”… I think, dear readers, we can assume that he has a Grudge Book. I knew there was a reason I love that man. I bet Nigel Fargo’s name is in it, underlined with asterisks next to it….he’ll shortly be going in to mine for Crimes Against My Love.

Think about the possibility of making your own calendars with your favorite quote and photos. It’s not only fun to do, but could make a great gift.

I must say that My Love is rather more gracious than me if, as he says, he forgives but doesn’t forget. I don’t have that capacity. Once you’re grudged, you’re grudged. The end.

Er, the end.

xxx<- for My Love

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