What Ever happened to Good Old Service?

I was in a shop yesterday where I stood waiting my turn to be served. I watched the young man as he served each customer before me, I was wondering just how long it might take him to get to the point of actually saying thank you to one of the customers. Then again maybe it is just me. Maybe people no longer want to here somebody say thank you.

Later I popped into the newsagents where I was greeted with the exact opposite. Here the lady greeted me with, “Good afternoon darling, and your paper. Is that all I can do for you today sweetie? You have a nice day now.” I could almost swear she said it with an American accent.  Now please forgive me that was not intended to be at all anti American. I just have not heard that over here, but like everything else it was bound to come.

So I am never happy. The first lad seems to have lost it completely, it was almost as if he did not want to be there, the second just did not sound for minute as though she meant it.

What happened to just being nice to each other, interested in each other?

Where is all this leading to I hear you ask? Well before I get there can I apologise to those of a sensitive nature, but I just could not help myself when I was told this story. I did really laugh out loudly , and it was so appropriate after my experience in the two shops.

It was a friend asking me what ever happened to the meaning of the word service. She said she was now totally confused about what the word service meant until yesterday.

She thought about all the places the word seemed to be used but was confused why. 

Internal Revenue  'Service'

Postal  'Service' 


Telephone 'Service'

Cable TV 'Service'  


Civil  'Service' 


State, City, County & Public 'Service'

Customer 'Service'

It seemed that the word service was being used out of context when you consider how each of the above respond to you. She then went on to tell me how it all fell into place when she heard two farmers having a discussion. One was telling the other how he had hired a wonderful bull to service all his cows.

In that moment she realised what the word service meant in our modern society.

I hope you see this in the humorous way  I did even now I am still laughing as I retell it to you.

Please do have a nice day. 

This blog is linked to my other. Where Do You Go To My Lovely

So Being Good Is Not Enough.

I know, I know I should not just stop without saying anything and I apologise. I have been greatly moved by the concern of fellow bloggers that I had not posted. That they took the time to check out that I was okay had me sitting in my study chair in tears. I know Susan keeps telling me that more people read blogs than comment on blogs, but it does not always sink into my brain. I thought long and hard about closing down both blogs and in the end decided to close down one. Thanks to those one or two who followed over and joined this one. So back to my daily stories, thoughts and “Stravaiging.” Now there is a word for you I hope you like it. Stravaiging is a Scottish word meaning to roam, but not to roam without purpose or meaning. I like to think that my daily roaming and wandering is full with meaning and purpose and intent.

Yesterday was not a great day for stravaiging; it was a wet, windy foul day. Today started off in a very similar vein. My son refused to have his weekly run it was so windy and the rain was not just rain but hail. Last night I walked the coastal path as the darkness fell, I now feel I know the path so well I could almost walk it blindfold. The wind was wild forcing the tide high on the beach, at places so high it splashed up on the rocks and onto the path. Marvellous adventure and I enjoyed it.

Earlier in the day I had walked through the village. The taxi drivers were there in full force, they always love wet windy days, and they say it is good for business. It was sad to see them though blocking the disabled parking bays. I pointed this out to them and they made a comment that disabled people should not be driving in such weather. I left with a sad and heavy heart.

The incident reminded me of another friend I had years ago, he ended up driving a taxi but he was the opposite to those I encountered yesterday.

He had been a managing director of a firm and had worked long hours often seeing little of his family. He was successful, but unhappy. He felt there had to be more to life than this. He decided to resign and buy a taxi.

he very soon built up a successful taxi firm, but he never gave up driving his taxi, even though he employed others to work with him. He built up a reputation for care of customers. His cabs always had a newspaper folded neatly in the back seats. There was always a selection of music tapes the passenger could listen to if they wanted. He always got out the cab to open the door s to let passengers in and out, and he always helped with their luggage or groceries. He was a caring cab driver who went the extra mile.

I remember him once telling me it was easy to drive a cab. it was simple to be a cab driver. The thing was he wanted to be not just a cab driver but an excellent one.

He once said this to me, “One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer's expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on 'average'"

This brings me back to my starting point. I thought I had reached average in writing blogs. Average has never been good enough for me. Thanks to those of you who yesterday made me feel a bit above average for you I will continue to collect my stories and share them.

I will do some more stravaiging and take you with me. I hope you can come along.

Have a great day.

Those Who Serve Often Go Unnoticed.

I was walking along a really rough boulder strewn track. It was wet, having rained heavy most of the night and still it was raining. Parts of the path was thick with mud. I was well prepared, I had run this very track earlier in the day and so I was prepared. Coming towards me was a man carrying a heavy bundle of sticks. Each stick had a small flag attached to it. Every so often he would stop and secure the flag to a spot at the side of the track. He was wet, cold and covered in mud. We spoke and he told me that the next day there was to be a cross country race and that he was out marking out the route.

The next day the race took place. The runners set off at a great pace and from start to finish they followed the flags. At the finish line of the race people gathered to welcome home the runners, cheering them over the finish line. Standing at the back of the crowd clapping was the man I had watched the day before. I wandered over and said to him that I thought he had done a great job the day before. The race had gone smoothly because he, without thought of thanks had done his bit and prepared the route.

I remembered the story of the young boy and the Knickerbocker Glory, This was a large ice cream with fruit. A 10 year-old boy entered an ice cream parlour and sat at a table. A waitress came over to serve him ( do you remember the days when service was the name of the game?). “How much is an kickerbocker glory?” he asked. “5shillings” replied the waitress. ( This was in the time when that would be five weeks pocket money.)

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “Three shillings” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two shillings. You see, he couldn’t have the knickerbocker glory, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip, and he wanted to do things right. Acknowledging the service was part of the way things were.

We have lost the art, to a great extent, of appreciating things done for us. Day in and day out the little acts of kindness go unnoticed. Because they do they also get less and less, and we all lose out in the end.

Each act of kindness acknowledged will lead to another one tomorrow.

This is the way of the Tao.

This blog is linked to my other. A Day That Only Got Worse