I had had a hard day.
I had spent it running personal errands of all kinds.
Including appointments.
It was a busy day.
And I am elderly.
Late afternoon, and on my way home, I needed to buy a few food items.
Went to the local supermarket.
Got together the things I needed.
It is one of those where you attend the first available checkout.
A lady called me over.
She had a big smile, and was extremely helpful.
I realised then how important smiles can be.
It changed my whole day for the better.
I told her so, and thanked her.
And since then I don't talk to the 'letterbox' brigade.
And I won't, unless I am legally required to do so.
Which hasn't happened yet.
I ignore those faceless, inhuman, apparitions I come across from time to time.
All very well to say they have rights, but so do I.
And nothing can be more natural than a smiling, welcoming, friendly, face.
Even if it IS part of their job, its effect is still positive.

In the UK, a person was convicted of several murders.
That person declined to be present at the reading of the verdict?
This incensed several persons.
It shouldn't.
Those who insist on parading a convicted person in public are being cruel.
The person committing the murders clearly has an irregular emotional outlook.
Twenty years of training to make that person in to a standard human being didn't work.
It couldn't work.
Demonstrating cruelty towards them, and pretending it is something else, is thoughtless.
It is also a case of the good old pot calling the kettle black?
Those prosecuting should be admired for their 'grown-up' approach to such matters.
Instead, they are behaving like a mob of hell-raisers, bent on seeking revenge.
So, it is time for the boys and girls to grow up?
Time for them to become men and women?

Ipso Fatso

The checkout ladies at my supermarket are all nice too - except for one, who is a fat, surly pig. I will wait on the end of the longest line to avoid her.

What is thec "letterbox brigade".

Thank you Ipso Fatso for taking compassion on the convicted person.
Likewise this supermarket lady was compassionate to you, this is the way to go.
So did Jesus. He said "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they're doing".

I now feel compassion for that other supermarket lady, the fat one whom Ttbn does not like. Surely she needs more love!

Yuyutsu

If you saw this woman or subjected yourself to her rudeness, 'love' is the very last thing you would feel.

Yep to that !

Speaking of supermarkets, news.com has described Woolworth's installation of new cameras to combat shoplifting criminals as "aggressive". It is now "aggressive" to try to protect what belongs to you until someone pays for it. It's a wacky world.

There are at least two persons in my life who are categorised as 'difficult' by others.
Just people who live locally.
Others find them rather unpleasant.
But the strange thing is I get along well with them if we happen to meet.
I don't get the surliness others complain of.
Must be my scintillating personality?
Or more likely that I treat them as human beings?
I wonder about the surly lady mentioned in the previous posts.
I am not suggesting you all shake her hand and shower her with gifts.
But a bit of gentle kindness might work wonders.
A genuine 'hello' when you arrive, and 'thank you for your help' when you leave?
Over time it might cause a thaw?

Letterboxes?
Picture a (black) mask.
Just a cutout for the eyes.
Ned Kelly style?
Very off-putting.

Ipso Fatso

Thanks for the letterbox explanation. I hadn't heard it before.

There are enough nice people around. I don't worry about the surly ones. Don't need them.

Dear Ttbn,

«If you saw this woman or subjected yourself to her rudeness, 'love' is the very last thing you would feel.»

Is she rude to everyone, that poor lady?

Well I am not Jesus either, but perhaps if you told us where to find her, then we could conduct this experiment.

ttbn,

In what way do you find her rude? I suppose when you have to serve Albert Steptoe's twin brother you to might be somewhat put out yourself. How about trying a; "Good morning, how's your day been?" Instead of' OINK, OINK, GRUNT GRUNT! No Bloody 'Doze Ezy' on the bloody shelf again! What's an old bloke supposed to do to get his afternoon Nanny Nap!

"Those who insist on parading a convicted person in public are being cruel."

If Lucy Letby did kill those kids, then I don't care if they parade her across every town in Britain dangling from a noose.
Let the parents of the little ones decide what to do with her, they are the ones most affected.

If alternatively she did not kill those kids, then a grave injustice has been done.

Not much to smile about when your mention that topic sorry.

Hi AC,

Speaking to my older brother, a bloke who believes Vlad The Impaler was a soft cock do-gooder. I put it to Bro that we should pluck out her eyes and then cut off her fingers and toes. He called me a bleeding heart liberal...... "How namby-pamby is THAT!", he said; "You cut off her fingers and toes FIRST, BEFORE you pluck out her eyes".....you do want her to see what you're doing don't YOU?"...."YOU bleeding heart liberal brother of mine." I said; "Sorry bro, I stand corrected, didn't know what I was thinking".

The usual knee-jerkers are warning of further "terrorism" in the Northern Territory after the Chief Minister copped a pancake in the moosh. What a bunch of pansies!

Meanwhile, in Brisbane, all those polite, non-racist Lefties have been hurling abuse and profanities at attendees of a NO event.

We awful, white, racist, supremacists have a lot to learn from the Lovely Lefties.

Hi Paul,
"You cut off her fingers and toes FIRST, BEFORE you pluck out her eyes".....you do want her to see what you're doing don't YOU?"

Well it does kind of make sense if your aim is inflict the most harm.
I can see how he had you on a technicality there.

Hi ttbn,
"The usual knee-jerkers are warning of further 'terrorism' in the Northern Territory after the Chief Minister copped a pancake in the moosh."
- Yeah wasn't that whole saga stupid.

I think Natasha Fyles comes across as someone deserving of the pie, though I'm not sure what she did to earn it.

The real estate lady seemed more down to earth to me.
I'm sure she had a good reason.

The world takes things too far sometimes.
This whole Spanish Coach kissing the girls he coached and who won for example.
- Should we all now charge our grandmums as repeat offenders of sexual assault?

It's a cream pie in the face.
Something that was a fairly regular event on Hey Hey it's Saturday.
The funny part though isn't just the pie in the face, it's the reaction afterwards if they don't roll with it and spack out instead.
- The only thing a person can do is smile and laugh, lick the cream off your face and thank the person, or look stupid.

It's not like she smashed the bottom of a stubby over the corner of the bar and glassed her.

With the Labor Party accept responsibility for the social upheaval they're creating ?

Typo, should of course be 'Will' not with.

In the King James Version, the quote is found in Matthew, 12:25:
“And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”