MARK GILBERT: In a land of single-track roads, it’s still a two-way street
The Postie Notes by Mark Gilbert
Just like the snow in Good King Wenceslas, this observation will be deep and crisp and even.
Except for one very wintry week at the end of November, which according to my “photo memories” of that day over the past few years, has an annual theme of snow disruption, there has been wind, and then rain, and then wind and rain together!
And it has stayed like this throughout December, making driving and keeping the door of my van from bending backwards a challenge, considering I get in and out of it at least 200 times a day.
Unfortunately, this challenge failed one recent Saturday, with the strongest winds I’ve experienced in my 10 Christmases here.
I was on Munro Place, the windiest place in the world, when a massive, prolonged gust ripped the door out of my hand and even with my 18 stone I couldn’t save it.
The gust was so strong that it actually moved the van forward around three feet, with the handbrake fully on.
It was quite frightening, I almost tore my shoulder out of its socket, I lost my hat, and that was just five minutes before I was off duty, having protecting the door for five hours.
Anyway, in these small communities around the Highlands, there are many and varied groups, organisations and individuals who help to make life easier, more bearable and/or more enjoyable for others, whether it’s a community event or an individual contribution.
I have taken to baking over the years I’ve been here, which started with providing a supper for the Wednesday indoor bowls at Skerray Hall, which I enthusiastically attend every week, win or lose, but mostly lose. But we have a great laugh.
This baking progressed during the Covid years into providing treats for my customers, which were very well received by most folk, apart from one address who actually complained that a postie shouldn’t be providing such items during a pandemic. That address never got another treat, their loss.
There are lots of folk in the community who provide a wide and varied range of support to others, such as the community car, which will take anyone anywhere up here on request, absolutely fantastic.
Then there are the staff at The Store in Bettyhill who have provided Christmas dinners, delivered to the remote addresses up here. They deserve a medal.
Whilst most of the recipients of the above generosity of others accept the help, treats and community spirit of the providers, there are some who really don’t, and seem to treat kindness as a weakness, thus turning the providers off and then usually losing their contribution.
I have a saying about giving and taking, for some people it’s a one-way street, they take, but they don’t give.
This view got me excited recently while watching The Chase, when Bradley Walsh said to Paul Sinha that he hadn’t received any onion bhajis etc., from Paul’s mother recently, and Paul replied: “It’s not a one way street Bradley, you get your mother to send me fish and chips, and we’ll send you onion bhajis.”
Think on, in a land of single-track roads, it’s still a two-way street.
Was that deep and crisp and even enough?
Mark Gilbert is a postman based at Bettyhill.
