Saturday, January 09, 2010

Pathway to the stars

Hat-tip Normblog - I think we've all been there one way or other recently.  I am also very proud of my clear household pathway which cost me a little bit of work and handfuls of cooking salt. But no one has commented on it either!

Life is forever posing new challenges. You were aware of that, I know. But it doesn't do any harm to be reminded of it.

Yesterday, I'm sitting there, quietly minding my own business, when I hear metal upon stone. Scrape, scrape, clang, scrape. I look out of the window and see my neighbour. He's clearing a path through the snow from his gate to his front door. Now how does that make us look? I confer with WotN. We agree - we can't be shown up, and anyway it will be good to have a clear path. It will be good for us, good for the postman and the milkman, good for other stray wanderers up what will once again be the path to our front door.

So, mid-afternoon, we were both out there, two OAPs, with shovel and garden broom. If he can do it, so can we. After half an hour, though, it became clear that our path was never going to look as good as his. His was wide, ours was narrow. His was freshly paved, ours old and a bit bumpy. If anyone was going to be dishing out prizes, we would come second at best. But then it occurred to us both: we could grit our pathway. And so we did. It doesn't look as good as his, but it sure as hell is grittier.

I keep looking out at it, to take pride in what we've achieved. Every now and again I go out and walk up and down it, to demonstrate to passers-by how secure a footing it provides. They don't even look at me. I'm considering accosting people, and inviting them to try walking up our path. The best footing you'll find in south Manchester.

Norm doesn't do pictures so neither will I on this occasion.

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