Is It Just Me: Who Would Definitely Sell Their Torch?

Every so often, the country goes so mad about a topic, you'd think that something really pretty terrible had happened. Something so far reaching and catastrophic that life, if not the world, will never be the same again. So many people are so incensed (and not just in a Daily Mail way), that you can almost see the steam coming from their ears.


Its that kind of moment.


Over the weekend, another of these "why do you get so miffed over something so petty" moments erupted as the Olympic Torch relay began in the country.



Now, to my mind, the whole Olympics, especially The Shard, is a joke, and worthy of moaning about. We are in a  recession, we can barely feed ourselves, the trains cost a bomb and you can never get a seat and there are not enough school places, nurses and houses to go round, but let's spend billions on an Olympic Games which we will lose, as usual is a worthy whinge topic.


That, however, is not what has got the collective forces of Angry of Great Britain's knickers in a twist though, oh no.


Some absolute scoundrels have been selling their Olympic Relay torches. On Ebay. For hundreds of thousands of pounds. In most cases for charity.


I'll give you a moment to recover from the shock of that news there.


My view? So what. They got picked to do the relay, for services to their community and/or charity, they are obviously pretty sound people. The fact that they have done, or will have done, their bit to pass the flame (why can they not just light the bugger on the day with a Zippo? It is held in London after all), so after the limelight moves on, and they have a picture of them with the (particularly ugly) torch, its kind of theirs to do with as they wish.


Apparently, many have been scandalised by this lack of understanding for UK history and why they should keep the torch. They should show it to their grand children. Well, I'm sure they'll show the grand kids a picture of them holding it right? What one earth are you meant to do with a torch once you've jogged down your local shopping centre with it? 


I have no idea what the fuss is all about, especially not after hearing some of the nasty and abusive messages sent to one woman who is selling her's for charity on Ebay. A charity she set up, this being the reason she was picked for the task in the first place.


People sell War Medals everyday by auction, and no one bats an eyelid- that to me is worse than some torch which looks like Argos would sell it with a thick gold chain round it for chavs to wear round their necks. But no one sends nasty messages to these people, do they? The organiser's don't give a flying fudge what they do with them, there are no signed contracts saying they must remain on their mantel piece for 50 years and then be passed to the first born child of the first born child, so what's the problem?


There are worse crimes you can commit than selling something you've been given, for lots of money. I only wish I'd have nominated myself now.


That, to my mind, lies the problem, the issue most have- that they didn't get to own one and flog it for over £150,000. 


We have more important things to be miffed about than a gold torch being for sale on Ebay. 


Please, moaners, put your collective misery skills to better use and ask the questions that need answering. 


And leave people to do what they wish with their own class of junk.