Just a little story I thought I would share.
I work Saturdays in a local charity shop. The side of town is pleasant and friendly, but, as with many northern towns, we have ingrained a deep 'northern charm' background and many of the people are good, solid, working folk.
In some cases, this can be labelled, rather insensitively, 'working class', by people I tend to associate with, or those not from the area. I often take this judgement as a bit of an insult when I see and talk to people every week, who may not be as affluent or been as lucky with education as I have, but they are good-hearted people, and people that make my working day pleasant.
I was tested, however, of this belief, when I had a group of kids, who couldn't have been more than 6 years of age, and without any sign of parents, burst into the doorway and yell profanities at each other.
After they departed, I did think that there was no hope for this generation!
Not long after, a young boy, again on his own, and not much older than 8, walked into the shop and whilst I was pricing items, asked me if I knew of a particular gentleman who may have donated something last week.
I didn't recognise the name, and with our records system currently undergoing several changes, and both myself and my boss being quite busy, there was no opportunity to check the donors list. I asked him if he was looking for something that was donated by accident.
He said no, and said that the gentleman had died very recently, and he was looking for something to remember him by. He wasn't family, but had known this man, who had lived on his own, and had kept him company sometimes.
The genuine look on that kid's face as he looked for something his old friend may have left behind really touched me. He must have been from the same sort of background as the other kids, and was clutching in his hand a few pound coins that were most likely his pocket money for the week. The fact that he was looking for something as a memory rather than blowing it on on sweets and comics and other stuff for himself I found quite profound.
A young man who could teach many of us a lesson!
Feel free to share stories of your own in which your faith in humanity has been restored.
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