From the Editor

Happy Spring readers!

So, it was noted by a friend, that last month I was a touch on the miserable side in my message. I did explain that this was for 2 completely valid reasons; 1. January lasts forever. 2. I wasn’t happy about my big birthday.

I mean, let’s be honest, that’s not the only reason for a bit of misery is it! I’m sure we could all write a list and the general unsettled nature that exists at the moment is making us all a little grumpy. So many businesses (irrespective of large or small) are struggling at the minute and for many, the juggling act of trying to eat and stay warm is worse than I have known in my lifetime. ‘Worry’ is a permanent state of mind for so many and inevitably this leads to people perhaps not behaving as kindly towards others as they should.

The thing is, even the phrase ‘be kind’ has turned into a verbal attack, thrown on social media by keyboard warriors. But, it’s even more important now than ever! A good example of this was visiting the Ice Hockey last month – a good time was had by all but it was crazy busy. My friend went to get a coffee at half time and to be fair, had a bit of a shambolic experience with the coffee stand – they did seem to be out of most key items such as milk, sugar, stirrers, syrups – if you wanted a plain black coffee though, you were sorted!!. Anyway, the woman in front of my friend had no hesitation in stating her views on the matter, at the top of her voice, balling out the 18yr retail assistant over the lack of milk and how she was bang out of order and it was “illegal” for her to sell her a drink without milk, etc etc (insert hyperbole aplenty!). I’m not sure how the unhappy lady was eventually ‘satisfied’ (not sure that is the correct term!) in the end but it resulted in the assistant crying her eyes out and probably reconsidering her job choices. So, question to my lovely readers, yes the company had run out of milk but does that ever justify losing your temper publicly at someone who is probably working for minimum wage in between studying at College/Uni?

I’m not saying that this didn’t happen 15yrs+ ago and there are always people that open their mouths before their brain is engaged. I worked in retail most of my young life and I still recall an elderly gentleman going absolutely bananas at me one Christmas in a well-known supermarket because Mr Kipling had changed the packaging on his Festive Pies and him demanding what I was going to do about it!? I think I answered that I work for minimum wage on a weekend & that whilst I understood his frustration, I wasn’t sure that I could get Mr Kipling to listen to me on this matter! Maybe I’m just getting old, maybe I’m super resilient and I see people’s unkindness as their problem rather than mine and dismiss it, but maybe all the pressures we are facing currently, certainly financially, means we are losing our sense of decorum & human decency? It’s hard to say, until we stop getting squeezed from above I guess and in fairness, should the boss of British Gas or Shell be standing in front of me, assuming I could get close enough to the ivory tower, maybe I’d lose my decorum as well!!

Anyway, Spring has Sprung (ish!) & I’m back to being 21 again, so I’m going to have a little think over the coming month and see if I can write something more positive for my friend, next time.