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Sunday 6th June 2004

CNPS numbers spotted 1 (791).
The epic travails of date 41 did not end on Saturday. Having endured so much of my company, she was now forced to spend even more time with me, as we waited for our train and then headed home. Luckily for her I was going to be getting off at Newcastle as I am doing a couple of days work with my director Jeremy who lives there. This must have been some small relief for her, but she made a decent show of making out that the expedition that we had undertaken had been fun.
I was still a little tired on the train, but managed to at least stay awake this time, and tellingly my wedding hangover was not as extreme as many of the others that I have had in the last month or so. It is a strange state of affairs when one sees a wedding as an opportunity to drink less than usual. Nevertheless I was in need of some caffeine rich refreshment and had some coins ready on the fold down table in front of me. Inevitably, the table got bumped and the coins fell on the floor. I managed to pick most of them up, but missed one, a 10p piece. A small boy who had been quietly playing nearby, very kindly picked it up for me and gave it me back saying “You dropped this.”
I took it with a “thank you”, but as he turned away I thought I should reward his helpfulness. “Here,” I called to him, “You can have this for being so honest.”
I suppose I was thinking to myself that this young chap would remember this incident and realise that being polite and truthful will pay you dividends. I felt a bit like Jesus or someone of that ilk, only possibly a little more Holy and better at teaching lessons and stuff.
The boy took the ten pence with a gracious thank you and it is a testament to his upbringing that he didn’t hold up the money above his head and say “Oh wow! Ten whole pence. Oh thaaank you, you are sooooo generous. I can maybe buy two whole chews with this merciful bounty…. I am being sarcastic. I don’t get out of bed for less than 50p granddad. Please get some concept of our present day economy or fuck off back to 1982 where you belong” before throwing the ten pence piece back in my sanctimonious face, aiming for the eyes.
I expect he thought all those things, but he didnÂ’t say them, but returned to his seat, showing his mum the prize he had received. If he did this in disbelief he did not betray this with his expression. He seemed quite pleased. The young people of today get a hard time, but I think he came out of all of this very well.
A few minutes later I dropped a pound on the floor. I saw his young eyes spot it, but I grabbed it up before he could move. I might be better than Jesus, but IÂ’m not stupid enough to just chuck good money away.

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