Monday 1 February 2016

A member submitted piece for your enjoyment!

Hello All,

Here is a piece written by a Gateway Member for you to enjoy!



Truth



When I was a boy my Irish teacher told me a story about how he used to fetch water from the local well for an elderly neighbour when he was a boy. As a reward for his kindness, she made him a cup of hot sweet tea. 

Now in this ancient cottage with its open hearth and oil lamps there was a deficit of drinking vessels i.e.. one delph mug,cracked and chipped, and a couple of jam jars. On account of Seamus being "a very good boy" Bridie insisted that Seamus should have only the best, and offered him her mug. Not wanting to offend his hostess Seamus graciously accepted the offer. Bridie herself was a also a kind and generous person.  

Unfortunately poor Bridie, in her twilight years, was suffering ill health as was evidenced by numerous cold sores around her toothless grin. Seamus' mind scrambled for a resolution that would solve this diplomatic conundrum. In a eureka moment Seamus lifted the mug with his left hand thereby reducing the risk of acquiring an infection. Seamus sat on the milking stool on one side of the hearth while Bridie sat on the other side on the only four legged seat in the cottage. Bridie's happiness at being able to repay Seamus' kindness was elevated to elation when she discovered another trait.

Apart from this kind heart that they shared, as she pointed with her gnarled arthritic index finger of her left hand at the mug and said the words that were to be the straw that was to break the camel's back as Seamus, with great effort, had been suppressing the urge to purge. "I see Seamusine like meself you're a cithog (irish word for left handed or awkward )

My Buddist friends say "politicans have the hardest job in the world". I am sure like myself you are finding this statement incredible and not evidence based (as they say these days mainly due to the absence of blind faith. Ah! God be with the days!). Until they explained to me that if politicans told the truth they would never get elected, so it becomes a necessary evil in order to get elected and go on to serve  the public. 

This privilege and honour of service I regard as the primary motivating factor of people who enter politics, and not as some cynics would have you believe a desire to feather their own nest and that of their friends (I will accept that there is a good deal of unskilled thinking involved as is evident in some of their policies but that's for another day - watch this space)

-Eucabious Mcgrail


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