always keep the address

I normally post a “happy birthday trivia” message at this time of year. Indeed I have been doing this for 12 years now. Of late my posting has become less frequent which is somewhat odd since I now have much more free time than I had back when I started trivia. But no matter – some things are much more important than blogging.

This year I was struck by a BBC article by the poet Ian McMillan which I read yesterday. The article recalls how McMillan briefly met a chap called “Brian” at Jersey airport on a breezy night in autumn many years ago. McMillan was apparently very worried about the impending flight but was reassured by Brian that all would be well. After chatting for a short while and just before boarding the flight, Brian and McMillan swapped addresses and said that they would stay in touch. Unfortunately McMillan then lost Brian’s address. But Brian obviously did not lose McMillan’s address because each Christmas thereafter he sent a card, despite receiving nothing back.

The article ends with McMillan saying:

“Always keep the address. Always remember where people are, and then you can translate those moments of the kindness of strangers into a winter scene and a first class stamp. “

I’d say that was good advice.

Merry Christmas all.