Wardle Willie
A Partial Existence
Next week, weather permitting, I travel to Bish for a pre-op meeting at the hospital. The nurses
there, will check me out to see if I’m fit enough to go under the knife for a partial knee replacement.
If the NHS had sufficient staff, they could institute checks on the people of the south, particularly
London, where you can walk along a street and not meet a person’s eye or get a good morning
greeting from them. Checks would probably show that Narcissism was rampant, with many people
thinking about themselves and ways that they can make more money and seek more personal
pleasures. They are living a partial existence with no room for compassion or simple pleasures.
Contrast this with a walk in Weardale. If anyone knows you, then greetings are automatically
exchanged and strangers or yourself say good morning or some other friendly epithet. People care
about the Community and lead an existence where friendship and humour are very important.
Whilst today, the valley is buried under a carpet of snow, its occupants are still smiling encased in
their Northern bonhomie.
Willie Giles 5/01/2025
