A decade of self-care?

BBC News has missed a good opportunity to explain a Welsh politician's career change in sufficient detail. The second paragraph in the BBC's story about Assembly Member Lorraine Barrett says that "she now wants to spend the next decade 'on herself.'" The rest of the story, however, explains Barrett's plans to become a Humanist Celebrant, which includes a list of duties that sound rather clearly focused beyond the self:

"I have taken this decision because I trained last summer with the British Humanist Association as a humanist celebrant and I now conduct humanist or non-religious funeral ceremonies," she said.

She said she mainly conducted the funerals around her political commitments, on Mondays and Fridays and during recesses.

"It's going very well and I get huge satisfaction in being able to do something so special for families at the most difficult time of their lives.

"I want to develop my work as a celebrant to do baby-namings, weddings and civil partnerships.

"I also want to do more work with the British Humanist Association and the National Secular Society. It is for that reason that I have decided not to stand at the next election.

It's good to read some very basic facts about the work of Humanist Celebrants, whose work in the United States is coordinated through The Humanist Society. In choosing to quote Barrett in such choppy fashion the BBC settles for too cheap a sound bite, and a non sequitur at that.

Photo: Lorraine Barrett visits Marie Curie Cancer Care, Wales, of which she is a patron.