I said this post would be more about Some Mother's Son than about Tommy, so let's do it in that order. I am going to get straight to the point. I don't think Locate International are the right people to investigate the identity of Some Mother's Son, at the moment. There, I've said it. The charity comprises of a set of hugely qualified and experienced people, plus a bevvy of willing and determined volunteers. But I don't get the impression that with the resources and time available to them, especially as all personnel are volunteers, that they have the time, or even the necessary determination to make Some Mother's Son's story a priority. They have several hundred stories to try and unravel, and Some Mother's Son's story is clearly not at the top of the list. I understand this. This week I spoke to a gentleman, high up in Locate, who is devoting his life to the Missing Person and Unidentified People field. I have spoken several times to him before, and I am always left with the same feelings.
Five months ago, via a Facebook page I set up, I was very quickly given a potential name for Some Mother's Son. I spoke with the missing person's family, and to my mistake, (my opinion), I shared the gentleman's name with Locate.
Since May of this year, out of respect for the family's wishes I have not mentioned the missing man's name, and have done zero investigations into his story. The family are dealing with Locate. I get that. The family's wishes must come first of course, but I feel any investigation that Locate might be making, is incredibly slow, and probably not running along the best lines.
This leaves me hugely frustrated, hugely, and the only positive and sensible way I see of reducing this frustration to zero is to pull back from any further investigating of Some Mother's Son's story, for the time being, and let Locate do what they do. I'll stop for a year. (In fact I really stopped in May anyway, apart from my recent videos, which again attracted interesting responses. But I cannot act on those responses!).
I will continue to visit Some Mother's Son's grave. I will continue talking to him. I will continue my daily ritual of listening to the song that Steve Johnson of Facebook Cyberheritage organised, and I will postpone the film work Steve wants to do and that we had planned about Some Mother's Son. But apart from that, nada, nothing!
And if by chance I get brought back into the investigation, great, I'll be ready and willing.
And of Tommy. I am presently cycling down to the laboratory which is just South of Bordeaux. I could have sent the sample by courier, but I fancied a long bike ride and I needed to rant and rave along the silent cycle towpath that runs the 365kms between Brest and Nantes. I've done about 130 miles so far, only another 400 to go to reach the lab!
However, I may catch a train at some point. Depends how I feel. Depends on the weather. Depends if my fifty quid bike survives.
All being well I can hand in the sample for carbon dating on or before the 23rd October. Not quite reached the £950 target yet, but by then we definitely will.
I usually do my blogosts on a Friday evening, scheduled to go live on a Saturday morning, but I have an airbandb tonight, (Thursday), and I thought it wise to get it done now, in comfort, with electricity, and with a decent table and chair.
I hope I have been fair in my Locate appraisal. I believe I have. I cannot, or do not want to let two years of gentle progress stall, or in the worst case scenario, be totally wasted.
(I sent this post to Locate on Thursday, so they knew what I was going to say, rather than reading it here without warning).