Teddy Bears

The news that Woolworth's were dying on their feet, partly because of the credit crunch and partly because they are not very good, caused the administrator to slash prices in an effort to cash in on the Christmas rush. Tempted by avarice and greed I wandered along yesterday afternoon and joined a thousand wildebeests rampaging, with pushchairs, through the wreckage. What the man who built a huge skyscraper from his store would have thought I dare not imagine. The animals blocked the passageways with their pushchairs, stood in the remaining space and wondered why folks, like myself possibly, grunted GERROUTOFFIT!!!! at them. There were only short lines of folk at the checkouts as most of the decent stuff had been removed long before. Empty shelves reflected the grasping hands that had fallen for the '30% OFF' signs and seen goods that folk didn't really want leave the shop just because it was reduced. The sight of such multitudes greed, reflected in myself, made me sick to my stomach. I was like the rest attempting to grab what I could. I pushed through the swarming herd, stopping only to swap one or two children from one pushchair to another, just to see if the mum's actually noticed when they got home, and left empty handed. Of course as the stampeding hordes had taken all the best available, which is not saying much in 'Woolies' actually, there was nothing worth grasping with my sweaty paws, and headed for Tesco as I knew they had been afrighted by Woolies sales technique and reduced prices also! I really did need a couple of small things for the kids up North, a noose and a set of stocks would be useful, and so I had a flimsy excuse for being there. So late afternoon found me grasping two chea...inexpensive 'Teddy bears' as I queued for a small eternity while other wildebeests shoved through the orderly queue in an effort to obtain glittering prizes that would ensure happiness this Christmas. I wonder if they know the number for the Samaritans? At the counter I had to fight with the lass as she, totally wiped out by non stop customers, wanted to sit and hug the bears herself. I needed the nancy boy assistant and two customers to help me get her hands off them before I could get out of there! The joys of shopping! That is a woman's world indeed!The observant will have noticed I have added a few to my 'Friends' & 'Favourites' list. This is all Joe's fault! Every time I read his excellent blog I also have to read the comments left by his ever growing fan club. Joe is of course becoming one of the 'Must reads' of the blogging world, and if you have not done so before I insist you browse his pages and those comments left by a wide assortment of lunatics. You will feel at home there! This is it Crotchety Old Man! So I updated the list and added many from his world, each one a gem in their own mind! Twisted, perverse, demented and unstable, yet lucid, witty and just what you appreciate. I recommend each and every one to your care and adoration - before the men in the little yellow vans come and take them away - again!



I was wandering around attempting to keep warm the other day and found myself following two lassies from one of the 'Care in the Community' homes. This place shelters around a dozen mentally , sorry, we call them 'People with Learning Difficulties' now. We used to call them 'backward,' or 'Slow' but now we need a fancy phrase to describe them, such is life! However I used to deliver to this place and am well aware of the girls living there. While one or two are real sad cases who need 24 hour care 7 days a week others are allowed to walk the streets. When I delivered this street I inevitably met one called Jane if I remember right. here was a somewhat large girl, aged about 23 maybe, but with the mental age of around seven. She often walked to shops and centres by herself, and was capable of doing so safely. However she also followed this postman when she met him. "I might get a letter postman, is there one for me, it's my birthday, any for me?" This followed me down the road. It is surprisingly difficult to avoid someone in a straight, and very long, street! It did not aid delivery!
Anyway, these two lassies had been returning from wherever and the more capable one was carefully holding the hand of the other, a very sad wee lass. Around them roared the uncaring world, a world their primary school mentality could never possibly comprehend, yet together on they went, the lesser totally trusting the other. Such trust and care for each other.

When I saw this I could have cried.