Supporters or Stalkers

 

Friends, Followers, Facebook Supporters or Stalkers

On the TV news today, there was a piece that said that 50% more women are the victims of stalkers than men.

I told my husband that when I was a teenager, a friend of mine was stalked for months, the man did it quite openly but did none the less follow her everywhere with no attempt to speak to her. I had a long term follower for a good six months with the difference that whenever I was alone he did approach and talk to me. He had given up his job and moved in with his grandmother to be closer to where I lived. So I think it may be more common that people think.

My husband turned to me and said, “Well that does at least place you in the smaller group doesn’t it”. He said laughing! “What are you talking about”? I asked.

“Well, he started, “What about Ramin,” he said, “How many times have you dragged me along to see him”.

I went into a long explanation that there is an ocean of difference between Stalking somebody and being a ‘Follower’ of a musical theatre singer. We are talking about my favourite singer here, Ramin Karimloo, he has been the star in Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Anastasia, Chess, The Secret Garden etc. etc. The answer to his question is that I have been to see him in Musicals showing on the West End and also to a handful on his concert tours shows. Of course I have all his albums. I have tickets for The Secret Garden at the London Palladium this spring.

To further clarify, Steve has not been Dragged along either, he has been more than happy to go, although he does not applaud when he sings country songs, and that is pretty silly because Steve has loads of country albums, Trace Atkins, Johnny Cash etc. Yet Ramin must only sing musical numbers for Steve it seems, when he applauds noisily. Steve loves musicals as much as I do.

After we have been to see and hear Ramin and his Broadgrass Band concert, Steve has asked me if I wanted to go to the stage door and I never have, but when I was a teenager I did collect autographs. My friend Joyce and I would cycle to Brighton on our bikes, if there was a singing star we liked appearing at the Hippodrome there.

I do ‘Follow’ Ramin, on Instagram, along with the world’s greatest tenor, opera singer Jonas Kaufmann, and Hugh Jackman who has been in Oklahoma and the movie version of Les Mis.  I also follow a load of cycling stars and triathletes, swimmers, track and field athletes. Then there are Ballet Dancers galore, photographers of whom my daughter is one is checked on daily. Loads of biathletes and figure skaters and everybody I know in the triathlon world and the list would not be complete if I missed out the entire British Bobsleigh and Skeleton team, who I check out all the time during the winter months on Instagram and Facebook.

 

There is a vast difference between having favourite movie stars, athletes and singers, and the sick worrying few who are indeed Stalkers, who can be so menacing that they often completely ruin the life of the person they relentlessly follow. Don’t expect any change. I don’t gamble I don’t go to bars and pubs I don’t stay out all night. Some might say boring. I am pretty harmless really, nobody is locked in my bike shed.

 This is Steve by the way with Shelly Rudman.... looking very pleased at this meeting with a hero.

In the TV discussion that we listened to, they spoke of the story about estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, who disappeared on a working day, in broad daylight. She was 25 years old and has never been found. She had an appointment with a man simply noted as Mr Kipper who she had gone alone to meet at a house. The man suspected of her abduction and murder, John Cannon, was on day release from Wormwood Scrubs Prison the day she disappeared. His nickname in prison was it seems, Kipper!