Gotta love the British

Maybe it stems from centuries on that cold, dank island. Maybe it comes from a society that has so long had such huge gaps between haves and have nots. But I gotta love the British for simply being naturally quirky.

Quirky is a big thing with me. I cannot stand those who put it on as a pretense. There's a lot of that in current bands, their suit of "we're weird because we play instruments." The truth is, quirky comes from just who you are. It tends to not be a reflection of something of the past and the quirky usually can't identify themselves as such. They just are.

So when I find organic quirky, I revel in it. For example:

A good example was on the world page of the Dallas Morning News one recent day. It included two stories on British actions I found particularly indicative of the natural quirk.

The first was of a couple who had been visiting Windsor Castle. The queen's residence is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the nation. These two decided to celebrate their visit by having sex - on the castle's front lawn. The report was the two had "been drinking a lot of champagne" and not only weren't cognizant of the number of tourists in viewing vicinity, but in fact didn't realize "exactly where they were." In the name of full disclosure, the woman was an American, but it's likely she was heavily influence her British paramour. And in the quirky British way, the two were charged with "outraging public decency." This despite the fact several in view expressed their outrage by taping the act for future posterity.

The second was on the British poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy. The story focused on the fact she is not only the first woman to hold the post, but tacks on the fact she is openly lesbian. But the quirk is in her remuneration. The poet laureate gets $8,500, which she donated to a poetry contest. But she also gets sherry from the Sherry Insitute of Spain. Only the British would understand reaching the muse might take a nip of sherry or two. Imagine the United States of Religious Rightists' reaction to boozing up an American writer on the tax dole.

I bet it would outrage the public decency. But then we American are pretentious in our quirky expression.