"Have a Jaffa Cake"

Another day....another animal shoved in the boot!
Country roads in winter can be a bit of a nightmare, and the trusty Berlingo isn't the most "robust " of cars when it comes to off road driving.
Ok I can fit  a whole flock of hens,geese,ducks, pigs and even a very large Billy Goat into the back of it with room to spare...but when it comes to icy, one track roads, like Mabel, the Berlongo is a bit of a pussy
so mindful that I am now going up to my brother's house out in the sticks twice a week, I decided to get fresh tyres fitted today.
I  booked the car in, and went to sit in the somewhat austere "sitting " area of the garage to wait . I was quite pleasantly surprised with the facilities as there was a good selection of reading matter available, a coffee machine that worked and  fairly comfortable seats to choose from. Five other people were waiting for their cars. A middle aged woman and her seven year old grandson,  a business man type, and a couple of young men in overalls.and as I sat down to read the paper, I noticed that the woman was rooting through a carrier bag, and to the delight of the child , she brought out a small can of orange juice and a packet of biscuits which she gave him, presumeably to keep him quiet as they were waiting.
The boy quietly opened up the packet, took a biscuit for himself then offered one  to his grandmother.
He then looked at the nearest man, who happened to be the businessman,  and without being prompted walked over and asked him if he would like a biscuit.
The businessman smiled suddenly at the gesture and politely refused the boy's offer, and undeterred the little boy marched over to the two workmen and offered them a biscuit too . Both men cheerfully took one each, which obviously pleased the boy and so did I when it was my turn, as I was genuinely impressed by the boy's spontaneous show of good manners and community thinking. (I also love chocci biscuits!!!!)

Sadly,I have to admit, that if this kind of behaviour was the norm, then I wouldn't have been moved enough to write about it today.....by doing so now, perhaps underlines just how rare, some of these little moments, actually are.........
why is that?

33 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:39 pm

    What a sweet little guy.

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  2. no delores.. just a confident little boy, who had been socialised well and who had been taught manners

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  3. Because it appears that everyone is being taught to 'fend for themselves' and that THEY are the important ones.
    There is hope John! If a little 7 year old is doing this, then it is possible to have a kinder world afterall!

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  4. Jim said it perfectly!

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  5. This is more common that you think John...but we should always talk about it...always praise it.

    Don't they have 'snow tires' in Wales? We have just switched over to ours. Summer tires go into storage and the snow tires are on ready to deal with the elements. Makes me feel so much safer.

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  6. We live in a self serve yourself world. Some people have forgotten how to serve one another and be kind to one another.. This little boy is being taught how to be a man with feelings for others and not himself.The man who refused the biscuit didn't get the blessing did he. Glad you got new tires on your car..good tires is as good as having good insurance on your car. One without the other is a disaster.
    Have a blessed day~! ta ta for now from Iowa:)

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  7. That little boy is a treasure. Offering to share his biscuits was his gift to you, and accepting it was your gift to him. Delightful story.

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  8. I guess the little boy was off school because of today's national strike action. There used to be a car sticker that said "If you can read this thank a teacher" which always irritated me because my mother taught me how to read before I even got to school... and that little boy's manners and confidence are certainly not down to teachers but to the quality of his upbringing.

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  9. What a delight! I love spontaneous sharing moments.


    megan

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  10. Someone is bringing their child up nicely.
    You're quite right, its not the norm now to be polite and giving.

    Give the boy a housepoint.
    Briony
    x

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  11. Great parenting by someone...who'll never know what a favour they are doing the world (or a little Welsh bit of it).
    Jane x

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  12. Isn't this a nice change of pace, a child with manners !
    I'd like to think my grandchildren would share a biscuit with a stranger, I've seen them offer sweets or chewing gum, so maybe they would....
    Hmmm, Jaffa Cakes, a little bit of school days there :)
    ~Jo

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  13. Someone's done a good job on that little boy.
    I hope experience as he gets older doesn't lead him to think that sharing and giving is for mugs...

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  14. If you look at very small children, just learning to eat on their own and/or learning to pick up objects, they will always shove what they have in their fist to you/others.
    I believe it is natural for littles to share....until they are taught, or shown by example, otherwise.
    Cheers John!
    xx

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  15. A rare and heartwarming thing, John. In my experience, sweets and biscuits offered by young people are usually an attempt at 'grooming' old people, prior to an offer of unwanted oral sex.

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  16. I don't know why it is John but I do know it is always worth writing about on your blog because it lifts the spirits of anyone who reads it.

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  17. spoken as someone who knows thomas!!!

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  18. Wonderful happening.
    Hope the new tires work out well.

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  19. I was offered an orphan donkey yesterday........barely dodged that bullet, but my office helper got tricked into it and I went with her to pick him up........my blog has details. Somehow, people find the kind hearts/suckers when an critter is in need.
    Oh, and God Bless that little boy!!! Made me smile reading about it.

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  20. Anonymous9:06 pm

    The dear little boy either has a good soul or he's being well brought up, or both. And while rare it was a beautiful moment in time! He offered you a biscuit John, he knew you needed one after the shopping incident!

    Bravo to Jim on his comment!

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  21. Anonymous9:08 pm

    I'm trying to imagine a world where, everywhere I went, little children were banging at my thighs with partially eaten food in their hands, trying to lure me into taking a bite. Would I just accept every single offer and get fat (or sick)? Or would I decline and have my sleep disturbed by thousands of childlike eyes gazing up at me in disappointment?
    I think I'd get nervous of areas where children congregate in large numbers. Think how unnerving it could get to pass by schoolyards at recess, or toy stores, or any pediatrician's office. We wouldn't need zombies anymore...just packs of generous children hunting down grownups to feed! :-)
    He sounds adorable. Actually, small children often enjoy sharing their food with others. And the smaller the child, the more gooey the offering is likely to be.
    Be careful driving around on those roads!
    Dxoxox

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  22. Yes beware of men in hats bearing biscuits!

    I hear they make a half-track 'Berlongo' now John lol.

    Btw, you're using the word 'pussy' alot at the moment. Are you on the turn?

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  23. CHRIS
    never in a month of sundays!
    I will never drink out of that well again!!!!

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  24. Lovely post, John.

    Just shows that despite what you read in the tabloids, most of the little tykes are a credit to their parents.

    Dominic, aged twelve and a half, is with me and has been reading your blog while I was at the airport in meetings because he really likes it and sends his regards to you. Youth has blessed him with a memory far superiour to mine and he asks if you did go out and buy a 'Gay Gary' robot. I have no idea what he is on about but he swears you had a video on your blog.

    In the meantime, he asked me to explain Tom Stephenson's comment so I said that TS was one of these sad old people who dribble down their shirts and get very excited when they have a visitor, especially one offering a biscuit.

    You try coming in exhausted from a day spent in meetings and explain that one away on the spur of the moment to an adolescent who has spent all day surfing his favourite sites on your laptop.

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  25. hippo!
    tom's a real sweetie under all the growling!

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  26. Actually John, Hippo's rather astute description seems to fit the bill!

    Have they met?

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  27. hippo... I will have to moderate my language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    hello to dominic
    lovely to have him aboard!!!
    and yes I remember the gay robot!

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  28. Ola John

    Este e o Dominic a escrever eu gosto de ler o teu blogge porque esta cheio de curiosidades sobre animais e a naturesa,eu gosto tambem o teu bulldog,e feio quanto o papa.
    O papa prometeu levar-me a Wales para visitar-te.


    Cumprimentos D.F.G.Gowans

    Hi John

    This is Dominic writing i like reading your blogge becouse its full of curious things about animals and nature,i like as well your bulldog,he is ugly as dady.
    Dady promised take me to Wales to visit you.


    Regardes D.F.G.Gowans

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  29. A heartening story of generosity and innocence. Thank you for sharing.

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  30. Dominic has fallen asleep on the sofa in front of a Peter Seller's Pink Panther film which has allowed me to kill off all my emails.

    So I am as ugly as your bulldog. Cheeky little sod, wait 'til he wakes up!

    I could murder a Jaffa cake now. I could demolish a whole packet. Thinking about it, I haven't had a Jaffa cake for about twenty years which means that Dom One Nick has NEVER eaten one.

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  31. The more I pay attention to those moments, the more they happen. I swear to you it works. What a good lad. :-)

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  32. Heartwarming!!!Hope he grows up to be PM, maybe he'll put Jaffa cakes on the National Elf.

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