Mid morning saw me the only person in the queue at the wee post office. I go there as the queues are less and the Asian lass always smiles at me even if she considers me an idiot. This was the three important Christmas packets full of rubbish and the cards dumped in the box. 3rd of December and all is done bar two cards I forgot and the local folks who turn up out of the blue. Many of those will get an email card! Cheap and miserly I may be but I am happy with that.
Sitting here in the 'Winter Palace,' that is my bed, I was listening to the radio iplayer (now called 'Sounds' for no good reason) as Jo Brand blethered her advice on families. I was thinking the families she meets are pretty rough, her own had its problems, but thought I my family was quite good, and I suspect most still remain 'quite good.' Of course we had problems, the usual family squabbles, and most of those around us were similar in approach, the area it must be said was composed of good working class types of the early 50's. Nearby were rougher areas where at school I discovered families of a more troubled type, their kids were in my class. This is part of the area in which the book/film 'Trainspotting' was based so you can imagine the type.
I suspect 'broken families' come from 'broken parents' people who came from such families however you conceive them and lack people around them in the neighbourhood or at work who can coach them into something better. The faces of those 'wanted' on the local police Twitter site often offer those not quite mentally aware for 'minor crimes.' The families are usually of similar type.
While I was listening the phone rang forcing me out of my comfort and made me clamber through to the east wing to answer. This was my sister and when mentioning the Jo Brand topic she agreed we were lucky to have a decent reasonable family, only one black sheep she mentioned, "Who? I asked, "You!" she said! I have asked the postman not to deliver her parcel...
It is at times like this I miss the family, I suspect they do not miss me...
The sky is quite good at the moment. Black clouds threaten rain in the distance much of the time but we get these interesting skies as the low sun heads home. If only I could get into a better position early in the morning and grab a few shots of the sky then. Not tomorrow as work calls....
4 comments:
Its nice to be able to look back at family times with fond memories, mine too were good, as you say with a few ups and downs. Leith is a very upmarket now, we were there in May.
I'm pleased that the cycling is helping your knees, just a thought but have you considered a folding bike? They are much lighter, more maneuverable, easier to mount and push around towns plus you can take them on the bus and into work. Just a thought.
Yes, Sounds confused me too...still getting the geriatric brain round it to find what I want to hear and coming across all sorts of dross while so doing.
We are down to e cards - given the nature of the post here which invented the idea of the black hole long before scientists came up with it. National post usually gets through...eventually....but international....very chancy, while anything routed through the U.S.A. has inevitably been opened and some of the contents lost.
Its a mix of nature and nurture, but sometimes it is inspiring to see how a person can overcome their family background. Or conversely how they can go to the bad even if they have a good family. I always liked JOhn Major because he pulled himself up out of a very poor background, have you read his biography? I always really hand it to people who have done this. Another one is Jolyon Maugham, the barrister behind the recent court case which clarified that the UK can choose to remain in the EU without any penalty, (assuming that our politicians don't deliberately scupper that chance with their squabbling.) he runs something called the Good Law Project which is currently having big difficulty getting major donors to fund them because they're rocking the boat.
Dave, I saw a man with a folding bike similar to yours the other day. I will stick to my rustbucket for now I think.
Fly, Never trust a postman! E-cards is the way for those outside the family/friends circle. I am working on one for the church people now.
Jenny, Jolyon (middle class names tell much!) sounds interesting. I may look into John Major through one of those 20th c PM books. How glad we would be if he came back now.
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