The Princess and the Nun...
The other day I saw The Queen, with Helen Mirren. It's strange to see yourself reflected in so-called historical films. The movie is about the week Princess Diana died.
I remember one of my good friends telling me that she and her family "cried" when Princess Diana passed away. And it was definitely a sad event, but I remember the scenes of mass mourning (I mean really, mass mourning) and I have to admit: I was a little surprised it became such a big deal. Now, I wasn't in England at the time, so I can't vouch for how Englishmen felt about her, or about the monarchy in general. And perhaps, in contrast to the rest of the royal house, Diana was more approachable and civic-minded. And definitely, her death(by paparazzi) exposed an ugly side in both the British and American lust for celebrity news.
What many people might not remember is that Mother Teresa died that same week. And it's true that Tess has been nominated for sainthood whereas Di has not. But I'm not arguing that either of them got more or less than they deserved. What I found interesting is that Mother Teresa's death ran on the back page of most newspapers (or at least, definitely on the inside) and there was little television coverage of her funeral, or of the flowers left at her gate by mourners.
In terms of generosity of spirit, Princess Diana could not have exceeded Mother Teresa. In terms of charitable giving, in terms of advocacy, in terms of absolute dedication to other people and to God. But even that is not my point. My point is that Mother Teresa married God, Diana married a Prince. Mother Teresa lived in the slums of Calcutta, Diana lived in a palace. Teresa neither wanted nor received media attention (most news crews would be frightened to follow her into those slums, some of the most dangerous and unhealthy places on Earth - I've been there and seen them and I still can't get them out of my mind), and Diana couldn't get out of the spotlight no matter how hard she tried.
Not to suggest that no one noticed Mother Teresa's passing. All of India mourned for her, the anniversary of her death (Sept 5) is still a day for speeches and vigils. But the average American didn't know. And I don't know why that is. Large newspapers and network news claim to give the people what they want. The people claim that the large newspapers and late-night news are full of lies and trash.
Maybe it's because the average person would have traded lives with Princess Diana in a minute. But it would have taken years of convincing before they wanted Mother Teresa's life. When Diana died, she took with her the aspirations of all the would-be Cinderellas in the Western world. The pretty girl who captured the Prince's heart but never quite made it into the bosom of his family. Meanwhile, Mother Teresa was the subject of every sermon ever written on quiet humility. She brought back memories of sitting in the back of class, counting the minutes, listening to stories of how you should be and knowing in your heart that it's not what you really want. And guilt. And I'm not writing about this to continue with that guilt. I think it's worthless to force someone to feel something they have no desire to feel. Mother Teresa's excellence lies partly in the fact that she was so rare. Princess Diana's appeal lies in the same. They were both one in six billion. The fact that we identified more powerfully with one than the other lies in their choices. But also in ours.
I remember one of my good friends telling me that she and her family "cried" when Princess Diana passed away. And it was definitely a sad event, but I remember the scenes of mass mourning (I mean really, mass mourning) and I have to admit: I was a little surprised it became such a big deal. Now, I wasn't in England at the time, so I can't vouch for how Englishmen felt about her, or about the monarchy in general. And perhaps, in contrast to the rest of the royal house, Diana was more approachable and civic-minded. And definitely, her death(by paparazzi) exposed an ugly side in both the British and American lust for celebrity news.
What many people might not remember is that Mother Teresa died that same week. And it's true that Tess has been nominated for sainthood whereas Di has not. But I'm not arguing that either of them got more or less than they deserved. What I found interesting is that Mother Teresa's death ran on the back page of most newspapers (or at least, definitely on the inside) and there was little television coverage of her funeral, or of the flowers left at her gate by mourners.
In terms of generosity of spirit, Princess Diana could not have exceeded Mother Teresa. In terms of charitable giving, in terms of advocacy, in terms of absolute dedication to other people and to God. But even that is not my point. My point is that Mother Teresa married God, Diana married a Prince. Mother Teresa lived in the slums of Calcutta, Diana lived in a palace. Teresa neither wanted nor received media attention (most news crews would be frightened to follow her into those slums, some of the most dangerous and unhealthy places on Earth - I've been there and seen them and I still can't get them out of my mind), and Diana couldn't get out of the spotlight no matter how hard she tried.
Not to suggest that no one noticed Mother Teresa's passing. All of India mourned for her, the anniversary of her death (Sept 5) is still a day for speeches and vigils. But the average American didn't know. And I don't know why that is. Large newspapers and network news claim to give the people what they want. The people claim that the large newspapers and late-night news are full of lies and trash.
Maybe it's because the average person would have traded lives with Princess Diana in a minute. But it would have taken years of convincing before they wanted Mother Teresa's life. When Diana died, she took with her the aspirations of all the would-be Cinderellas in the Western world. The pretty girl who captured the Prince's heart but never quite made it into the bosom of his family. Meanwhile, Mother Teresa was the subject of every sermon ever written on quiet humility. She brought back memories of sitting in the back of class, counting the minutes, listening to stories of how you should be and knowing in your heart that it's not what you really want. And guilt. And I'm not writing about this to continue with that guilt. I think it's worthless to force someone to feel something they have no desire to feel. Mother Teresa's excellence lies partly in the fact that she was so rare. Princess Diana's appeal lies in the same. They were both one in six billion. The fact that we identified more powerfully with one than the other lies in their choices. But also in ours.
posted by Anika at 11:11 AM
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