General Chat

I try miserably to contemplate all the good & positive things I usually take for granted without showing much appreciation.

There's always one in any community - be it in real life or online :-D :-D

As I sit on the local bus, wondering if Stagecoach will bother putting on the return bus, invariably, it's a man who will tell us - the whole bus - of his 'problems', be they medical, financial, or related to his house, whereas ladies get on looking like death warmed up, and most of the bus community has no idea what is wrong with her. It's only when she's got off, that we find out.
My 'bus buddy' Annie is a prime example. I hadn't seen her for 6 months.
After my demanding/harassing her for an explanation on why she looked so ill, she quietly told me of her heart failure.

Everybody knows my life is not worth discussing, I have never been out of the village, so I keep it to myself. We have a woman who has lived in the village something like ten/fifteen years, who I had not encountered until I got Fred going to the village lunch.

I can't even remember why, but I had to ring her about something in the village and she told me her entire life story in a way that was, I think, intended to show me how superior she is, and she probably is too, good for her.

Like so many, she moved in and launched into every activity with gusto. We watch them do it from our complacent old villagers distance and considers herself to be a pivotal part of the village, but, I think, humble.

Anyway, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which I am not decrying in any way and for which I have the greatest sympathy, and announced it on the village mini-bus but said she didn't want any fuss or bother. Fine, she has had the treatment and made a big show of not wanting any fuss (just as long as we all know and are impressed by her!).

Meanwhile, I have heard quietly and in confidence, that the woman who popped into hospital for something minor has actually had a double mastectomy and another, who was out of circulation or a bit, has had to have her genitalia removed. They didn't even mention how much fuss or bother they wanted.