Blue Moon at New Year's Eve

I remember as a child wondering what the year 2000 would be like. I think I expected to be still around but figured I would be very old. Well its 10 years further on from the millennium and I'm still hanging in there - Improving with age ;-)

It's New Year's Eve and the noughties are about to give way to a new decade. News programmes have reviewed the past ten years and we carry forward the legacies, good and bad, of the decade. Tens(e) years ahead then as we sort those out.

It's clear and very cold this evening. There's a blue moon - that's two full moons in one month. Although blue moons happen every couple of years, the next New Year's Eve blue moon won't happen until 2028. I hope to be around but just in case I'll be raising a glass of champagne to this one at midnight. I hope it's an auspicious start to 2010. We have a lot to put right this decade.

Care, Courtesy and Consideration

While clearing out some papers, I found my old driving licence. It goes back nearly 40 years so that's a long time driving. On the back of those old licences was some advice for the holder. The message reads: "Care, Courtesy, Consideration on the roads Saves Lives".

Christmas shopping trips are now under way and it seems that lots of motorists are in a hurry - weaving in and out, racing to overtake and braking hard at the next red light. Traffic reports frequently warn of delays associated with accidents and breakdowns.

For all our sakes, we just need to take extra care. And in the spirit of Christmas wouldn't it be courteous to acknowledge those drivers who show us consideration by signalling their intentions, leaving space or slowing up to let us join the traffic ahead of them? Wouldn't it be considerate of us to do that for others? I sometimes get annoyed when others fail to acknowledge my light flashing moments of courtesy. Perhaps though their heads were so full they genuinely didn't notice. That's a signal to be even more considerate and patient. Have you ever noticed that when we use care, courtesy and consideration on the roads the drive is a little easier and smoother? I may have been driving for nearly 40 years but I know that there is still room for improvement with those three values. "C" you on the road!

Waterspill

The antisocial youngsters have been at it again. Now that the vacant homes in our street are little more than burnt out shells, they turned their attention tonight to opening a water main. The water gushed for nearly three hours until the services team arrived. Fascinated at how they would deal with the problem, I watched with interest. I didn't need to wait long. It took them about 15 seconds to shut the water off!

They placed a large, raised, square board over the gush. The water then flowed from all sides under the board leaving them room to insert their key and stop the flow.
They said the board was the brainchild of one of their colleagues. They call it their surfboard. A simple tool and very effective. They capped the water valve so that we wont be troubled in this way again. Sadly someone else is likely to have the bother.
It seems to me that at the heart of anti-social behaviour is a lack of awareness of responsibility. However, irresponsibility is not solely a characteristic of the young.
We need to encourage greater responsibility personally, locally and globally.
Tonight, I am glad that the water service turned up and turned off! I hope they come up with more smart ideas to make our society more "response-able". We need to do something to turn back the current tide.