Equality for all?

I do my very best to not say anything political in this blog but there are times when I find it very difficult to keep on doing that. I was brought up to be politically aware and at the same time concerned for the views and opinions of others.

But there are sometimes politicians shoot from the hip and open their mouths before engaging their brains.

So the other day there it was suggested that the long term unemployed should be made to collect litter to get them back into the ethics of work. It had hardly been said when another asked if such jobs were not demeaning.

I leave that hanging in the air and make no judgement about whether it is a good idea or a bad one. What I do ask is this, how does that make the little fellow who takes great pride in making sure the streets where I live are litter free?  He comes up regularly with his brush, shovel and bucket trolley and makes sure the place looks well. He takes great pride in his job. Does he find it demeaning?

How easy it is to shoot from the hip for all the right reasons but in the process to forget that others can be affected by our words.

The heart surgeon had a car that was in need of being serviced. He took it to his local garage, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me."

"Yes?" says the surgeon.

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works as well as new. We basically do the same job, don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied, "Try it with the engine running."

Sometimes we need to stand in the other shoes of the other person to get the full picture.

Maybe a rather apt saying in the light of my new book, never judge a book by its cover.

Have a great day.