It's the last Thursday before Christmas Eve and all
is dead quiet at London's Long Arce. So quiet, it's
almost deafening!! By mid-day, thingz had livened
up abit at my Big Issue pitch. But signs of a good
Christmas seem pretty elusive for me and most
vendors I've talked to in the last 24 hours.
As the lunchtime office workers came out to
grab some grub, it was hard to see a happy
face among the gloomy specimens that
rushed on by in the freezing cold. You
cannot even prick their conscience to
give, because most of them have no con-
science to prick ... All they care about is finishing
the day at the office and hoping to collect
some kind of Christmas bonus to spend
on themselves and not on others ...
Certainly, not to spend or give money
to street vendors, especially those from
The Big Issue.
This year there is a noticeable decline
in what I call "impulsive givers," who
are those who see someone in need
and without a second thought give
them something on the spot. Im-
pulsive givers are also usually
happy givers and are then happy
to have given a helping hand ...
I don't think I've seen even an
handful of such impulsive givers
since the start of The Big Issue's
Christmas Special. And now
with the Festive Special -- with
a front cover almost identical
to last week's Christmas Special
that has confused some of my
customers thinking the Christmas
and Festive issues are the same
when they are not!! -- the death of
the impulsive giver is enshrined
with tombstones all along Long
Arce ... and now frozen stiff
and lifeless for the walking
and talking as they go by
the imaginary tombstones
of death ...
And, perhaps the epithet for this
miserable Christmas in England
is RIP -- Rest In Peace!! We'll see,
however, if such is to be. I did
see later this afteroon a few more
folkz with Christmas shopping bags
and perhaps by tomorrow and
the last weekend before Christmas
Day, that we'll see somekind of
stampede to do the last minute
shopping at Covent Garden
and the West End. Such won't
help The Big Issue street
vendors that much, but it may
bring an extra person or two
to decide it would be nice to
give a little to a vendor here
and there. Frankly, I doubt
such will happen if the kind
I seen over the past week is
any indication of any kind of
goodwill on their frozen
faces and cold-heartedness ...
Surprise me please and make
me happy by showing me other-
wise!! Whatever, it's messages
like Michele Zini from halfway
around the world that brings
such joy against the grimness
of this London's Chrismastide.
I, therefore, leave you with
some of Michele's warmth
and happiness ...
Dearest Monty,
I'll be flying to Italy tomorrow for the vacations
and I'll be off emails most of the time...therefore
this is just a quick note in advance to wish you and
your beloveds a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2008.
I hope that you're well and that you received my
email a while ago with a few pictures from my trip
to Namibia...beautiful country!! Take care and
enjoy your holidays See you sometime in 2008!!
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