Pay it Forward

I am not community spirited by nature.  It's not technically my bag.  Ask any of the Mums at the school gate who pee their pants over asking me if I have volunteered for the school trip/am attending the camping night/am doing a stall at the school fair.  No, no and NO. Missing my kids' Sports Day for the first time today though made me a little bit sad but I wasn't beside myself by any means.  Particularly as my parents had arranged their 8 day holiday in between the end of the times that I needed them to pick up the kids when I was examining and play-directing, and today, when neither Stu or I could make Sports Day due to work.  We did find out a couple of days ago however that as Stu's meeting had been cancelled he could actually be at Sports Day after all.  My text message to the parents in Italy went something along the lines of this:

'GOOD NEWS - Stu's meeting has been cancelled and he can now make Sports Day!

BAD NEWS - You have arranged your entire holiday around this!  Stay on in Italy?!'

My Mother obviously got her own back on me by coming and watching anyway and then feeding back through my Father in the pub this evening: 'I don't think we should hold out for the Olympics for the Ward boys.'  Miaooowwwww (but fair ;-))

Anyway, I digress.  I popped to Budgens on the way home as I realised we didn't have any mushy peas to accompany our fish 'n chips - sacrilege.  The middle-aged, middle-class lady in front of me was obviously embarrassed as she put forward her burgers and croissants and handed over a fiver saying that she didn't have her purse with her and she hoped she wasn't going to be 'financially mortified'.  Financially mortified she was as it came to £5.15 and she tried to put the croissants back (savoury over sweet, every time, totes agree).  I piped up that I would give her the 15p and she honestly acted as if I had just given her a kidney.  We are so bloody British.  I'm not even sure if I would have given her the 15p if I didn't have  two glasses of wine in my belly, but I should have, regardless.  I'm not telling this story to be a wanker.  15p is 15p and to any of us it means nothing at all but we should take these chances of showing we live as a community of sorts when we can.

I must say more than anything to my boys, 'Be kind'.  Am I always kind?  No.  Absolutely not.  However, I am generally kind to anyone who has not proved themselves as a fuckwit or a cunt, and I cannot bear meanness, particularly childhood nastiness.  'Be kind to anyone who isn't a fuckwit or a cunt' is probably a little too advanced for even my children however.

I must thank you all, for being kind to me in continuing to read my blog through the bother of having to sign up/create accounts etc. etc.  It is a personal thing to me, that I love doing and I am grateful that so many people have shown interest and bothered to keep on reading.  Be sure I will give you lot 15p any time, without a second thought, or even one glass of wine in my belly...