Punch a Giraffe



Ok, so ‘fundamentally decent’ (h/t Anne Salmond) Bill English wants to go to Wellington Zoo and punch a giraffe in the face if he wins the election. I have no idea where that came from, but like many things he’s said (and policies he’s implemented) in his political career, it’s fundamentally not decent.

Unfortunately, this is doing my head in and is ruining my Friday. So, here’s me getting rid of it.

Our little granddaughter had a soft toy giraffe called ‘Giraffe’. Giraffe went everywhere with her. Almost every photo we have of her has giraffe right there beside her. Giraffe flew from Wellington to Christchurch in the air ambulance, he had injections, his heartbeat monitored, worn caps so his hair wouldn’t contaminate the operating theatre, had chemo along with his best friend. Giraffe is no more, he left with her as well.


Literally, the last outdoor activity we had with K was a trip to Wellington Zoo. She couldn’t get out of her pushchair and walk, she couldn’t sit up to look at the animals. We took her to the giraffe enclosure, where the platform is high enough to see their faces and we watched in amazement as she had just enough strength to lift her little friend giraffe up introduce him to the real giraffes who had come over to say hello. We have a memory. We have a photograph.

I know what K would say, because, although the sound of her is gone, the way she talks is still clear in my head, and she wasn’t shy about telling people off …

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