Friday 3 December 2010

The cost of a life

Ok so the snow turned out not to be quite as pathetic as I thought it would be. In fact I have about had enough now. It’s turned in to a nightmare. A real nightmare, so far 2 people have frozen to death. That’s the only two we have heard about so far but I’m sure that once the roads are open proplery more will be found. The 2 that have died so far, a man and a woman, was in there garden and must of fell not been able to get help and froze. Meals on wheels have been struggling to get to the people that they help; it’s only a matter of time before we find out how many have starved to death. These lives could have been saved. They did not need to die in such a poor way. Alone, cold, hungery, scared. All it would have taken is for someone to bother. I’m not on about the government, councils, or people that work for organisations such as meals on wheels. As far as I’m concerned they are doing their best. No, all it needs is for people to get off their arses. Yes snow is fun. Yes snow is cold and wet. Yes it’s dangerous. But how much effort would it take for someone to walk next door, down the road, or even phone and see if anyone needed help. Why can’t Joe bloggs next door go and ask Mrs. 92 if she has enough food, if her boiler is working properly? If you’re going down the shop why not ask the little old man who can hardly walk if he wants some milk or bread? Why not ask the mother with a newborn baby if she needs anything? Why think that someone else is going to do it. Not everyone has a family that can look after them and those that do may not be able to help. How much time and effort is it going to take? How many lives could we save if we as a nation got off our arses and done something about it. Everyone is complaining that they can’t get to work but how many people have you seen out there with a shovel helping to clear the streets? I have not seen one person. It doesn’t always take money to save a life most of the time it’s just time. Plain and simple. 5 mins here, 10 mins there, half hour cooking a meal for the man down the street.


Put yourself in there position. You’re old, infirm, unwell, have a new baby. How would you feel? Someone that reads this might be one of those. The person that is writing this is. I am disabled. I have a young child. I went out and asked complete strangers if they needed help. I phoned around friends and family and asked if they needed anything. If I can manage to struggle down the shop in the snow, with a baby, on crutches to get my nana some food why can’t everyone pull together? Why is it we are either too scared, embarrassed, or damn right stubborn, to ask for help or to offer it? Yes everyone that I asked if they needed help barr my nana didn’t. But the point is help was offered. I’m not saying go and ask your neighbours if they want their drive cleared, and when they say no, wait up till there asleep and do it anyway. That would be pointless and cold. But offer.

It could save a life.



Enough of the rant now. I know everyone’s properly sick of them now but have some snow pics: