Nobbut Laiking, by Ross Brewster
There’s a favourite song of mine by country singer Iris DeMent. It’s called He Reached Down and it’s essentially based on the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. The man who reached down to help when others passed by.
We all know the story of how the two men crossed the road to the other side rather than help a victim of an attack who was left to die in a ditch. They were the ones you expected to assist, but it was the third person who came along, the Samaritan, who helped the stricken man and took him to the inn and offered to pay for a room.
What would happen in similar circumstances today. Would the Samaritan stop to help or whip out his phone and take a picture to put on his social media site before continuing his journey?
A new phrase came to my attention the other day. Bystander syndrome. The people who can’t resist eyeballing an accident and snapping a quick pic. The ones who say “it’s nothing to do with me” and sneak by. The neighbours who think there might be someone in trouble, but don’t act on their concerns.
Last week a story hit the headlines which shook many of us. The father and two-year-old who lay undiscovered on the floor in their home. The father was thought to have had a heart attack. The toddler starved to death because he was too small to open the fridge.
There will be some sort of inquiry. The child was listed by social services as “vulnerable” but it’s too easy to blame overworked social workers and these days people are reticent to get involved in case they end up being vilified for interfering.
When the Good Samaritan comes along, is it in his mind that this might be a mugging scam. Or that he could end up being the victim of a costly kind-hearted act.
In Wales there’s the case of the woman who found a pony in the lane near her house. It was abandoned and in an appalling state. As someone who cares about animals, what should she do? Well, she got her husband and between them they managed to remove the distressed pony to their garden while the vet was called to put it out of its misery.
This Good Samaritan landed a bill for £1,250. The council said because the pony had been in her garden they were not responsible as it was not a registered riding establishment. She had to pay for the removal and disposal of the body and the vet’s bill.
Perhaps we live in a society these days where people aren’t encouraged to play the Samaritan’s role. How many times are people told “it’s none of your business.” Or to just put it on social media.
This particular kindly lady was left pondering a more modern parable — beware getting involved, it could seriously damage your wealth.
Meanwhile the tragic death of Bronson Battersby evokes more questions than answers. What about other members of his family, neighbours, the police. Did any of them suspect things were not right, but fail to follow up their concerns? Maybe it was just a freak set of circumstances over a New Year period when people were busy or felt it was not their place to raise a scare story.
The ancient parable of the Good Samaritan shows that, even then, people were willing to cross the road rather than get involved. They had bystander syndrome in the Bible as well as in Skegness.
There’s a time and a place for being ‘dog friendly’
Another new phrase comes my way — the “hound pound.” No, not the place where they keep strays. This is the extra money pubs and restaurants say they can make by being dog friendly.
There’s been a fair whack of discussion on social media over the desirability or otherwise of allowing canines to wander in eating areas and even preparation places like kitchens.
A former colleague was out for an expensive meal recently at an establishment where they had a dog popping in and out of the kitchen. He’s not anti-dog, but he was put off his dinner.
He put it out there on his weekly blog and received lots of messages from affronted dog owners whose message was “if you don’t like it don’t come”.
In Keswick the council determined several years ago to declare us a dog friendly town. Several cafes and shops display notices to that effect. And in the peak holiday season every other tourist seems to have hold of a lead. I am not aware of any figures to show whether being dog friendly makes economic sense. However, not everyone I speak to is as keen on the concept as they were when it started. People love their dogs, but you can have too much of a good thing.
I am not keen on dogs or out of control kids on the rare occasions I dine out. I’m not anti either. It’s a matter of the right time and place and I don’t see dining rooms as the right place at all.
