Mrs Robinson

I’ve had numerous messages over the past few days mentioning the predicament that Iris Robinson and her husband have found themselves in. (For overseas readers: Both Ministers in the Northern Ireland assembly).

Many of the messages have been quite scathing and critical of her actions, and asking my opinion given my “Spur of the Moment Moment” last June.

I do understand (from personal experience), how she could find the attentions of a younger man exciting, and arousing . . . I certainly did . . . and, of course, we ALL make mistakes, and errors of judgement in both our personal, and business, life.

So I do sympathise with her on that level. I know that I always enjoyed looking at R’s body during our gym work-outs, and I know I was very flirtatious with him, and enjoyed his attentions and his responses. Of course, my situation was made even more exciting by the fact that J was always pointing out how obvious it was that R “fancied me”. And when I unexpectedly found myself with the opportunity to “indulge” in that spur of the moment meeting, I found it tremendously flattering, and exciting, and arousing . . . so much so, that I couldn’t, or didn’t even want to resist his advances. The opportunity presented itself and it just happened.

In actuality, it wasn’t wonderfully fulfilling . . . but it WAS flattering and exciting. So, in that respect, I can understand how Mrs Robinson may have found herself in a similar situation, and a similar frame of mind, and just succumbed to that spontaneous sexual combustion that sometimes just happens inside ALL of us. And I don’t care how many people say they would NEVER do that sort of thing . . . I KNOW that every one of us, have, or will, at some time or another, find that uncontrollable biological urge that makes us forget all reason and morality and danger. I TRULY believe that. No matter what your religion, gender or position (or perhaps sometimes BECAUSE of the moral pressures of your religion, gender or position) we will ALL at some point succumb to that special release, or temptation.

I admit that I enjoy occasionally succumbing to those temptations . . . I enjoy being able to forget for brief moments in time my responsibilities to family and friends. BUT I do realise that at least I am able to release myself to those flattering and exciting feelings from time to time, because of the wonderful relationship I share with my husband. Mrs Robinson, unfortunately, probably felt she wouldn’t be able to share those feelings with the person closest to her . . . and that is what I feel is the saddest aspect of her situation. Not that she found herself indulging in something exciting and different and forbidden, but that she felt that the only way she could indulge in that relationship, was to do it secretly, behind her husbands back.

And, I am sure that it is because of that moral, personal, pressure she must have felt that she could only continue her excitement, and affair, in SECRET and without SHARING it with her husband, that she suddenly found the situation spiralling into the other unfortunate aspects of the situation she found herself in. Arranging a loan for her young lover, using her political position to convince unknowing friends or associates to help this young man get a start in life. She just, very probably, felt it all spinning quickly out of control in the course of a few weeks. Things that may have been said, or promised, in the heat of a few passionate evenings that were helping her forget the pressures of her political and family life, just suddenly grew into much more than she would ever have imagined.

Of course, being in the position she was, perhaps she should have considered things much more carefully. BUT she probably had NO-ONE she felt she could turn to, no-one she could share her feelings, her guilt, her worries with.

It is terribly sad for her husband, and his political career, and for her family . . . sad for EVERYONE involved. But I challenge all the people who are getting on their high-horse and saying that in her position she “should have known better” . . . I challenge all of them just to stop and reflect for a moment, and think to themselves . . . and ADMIT to themselves . . . that somewhere in their past, at some point, or instance, in their lives . . . have they not felt a spontaneous, sexual moment, lead them to somewhere they never dreamed they would go.

I pray for Mrs (and Mr) Robinson . . . not for their political careers, but for their personal well-being. I wish them hope . . . and happiness.

Best wishes - Edith