It was quite uncharcateristic of me but an incident in the local park is worthy of a reflection. As a final little adventure before Jessica, Nick and young Gabriel returned to their home in Oxford, we all went down to the local park and enjoyed fun and games on the swings, roundabout and climbing frames. I had dropped off some garden rubbish at the local ammenity skips on the way down and therefore arrived a few minutes after the rest of the party had got to the park. They had arrived in time to watch a car with four local youths sit and drink coffee and then together with their empty ice-cream tubs simply wind down the windows and threw all the contents onto the ground before departing. We didn’t let it spoil our pleasure but as I returned to the car and saw the pile of litter I picked it all up, put it in the car and had intended simply to put it into a bin when I got home but noticing the young people and their car parked at the other end of the park, I drove round to them, drew parallel alongside them, wound down the window which caused the driver to wind down his window and we were close enough for me to simply hand him back all the rubbish that they had littered the car park with the words, “I think you forgot these". I was very calm and half anticipated a mouthful of abuse but they were so stunned and shocked by my actions that they were left speechless together with no doubt some of the dripping remnants of ice-cream and dregs of coffee. Whilst I still half anticipate another broken window (it will be the third within a year ~ the downside of living on Wooler High Street, not wanton vandalism but drunken behaviour) or my own car being keyed (scratch marked all the way down the side for the uninitiated) it hasn’t happened, yet!
I wasn’t motivated by anger towards the young people but felt that their actions violated something that was damaging to the environment. I can honestly say that I would no sooner drop litter like that than fly to the moon. Why? Not because I am some boring old geezer whose got nothing better to do than to 'police' the area, nor because of a sound theology and appreciation of God’s creation but probably it has more to do with being brought up well by my parents. I can’t remember ever being told not to drop litter, we just never did in our family and I am pleased to observe that the tradition has carried on through succeeding generations. These are not rough kids from deprived backgrounds, some of them have far more material wealth and possessions than many in Glendale but there is a lack in the values and virtues that come from good parenting and faith that lead almost inevitably to such attitiudes and care less behaviour. So sad and also very challenging.
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