As I plough through my imagination thinking of a title for this blog, I realise there are too many to choose from. I thought of plundering Gwen Stefani's opening lyric to "What you Waiting For" (What an amazing time/what a family/how did the years go by) however the use of the word family might be wrongly attributed to my own family when I mean it to represent the wider collective of people around me.
The people around you are the ones who make your life tick, from the listening ear in the office to the sambuca buyer at the bar, each overlapping in their use and purpose. There are more but that would make the analogy complicated, but the integrated nature of lifestyles make things seem insignificant if they are on their own. (Keep with me kids, this is going somewhere). What would be the point of a hedonistic Friday night if you couldn't talk about it on the Monday morning with the wider collective? Why have stories to share and keep them to yourself? I say get out there and make some memories, and share them before they fade into the insignificance.
I say share your favourite moments with those around you as yesterday, the best tea-maker and storyteller Bannockburn (and I suppose Edinburgh) had to offer passed away. For years, he would entertain not just myself but those around him with stories during his time in the Royal Signals and Tettitorial Army, his time as Santa, and tales of BB camps and people he met. His knowledge was phenomenal and he didn't just talk, he listened to the stories you had to tell as well. I can say that a big gap will be left by someone who enriched the lives of everyone who was in contact with him, needless to say someone who can understand my somewhat unusual tea demand of no milk and one sugar!
Harry Lanham, may the big man in the sky have the kettle on and be prepared to hear some belters! You will be sorely missed.
