As promised to various Samizdata people, here is my posting on the Kettering Gang Show. I have lived in Kettering almost all my life, but I had never been to the Gang Show before.
For those who do not know a ‘Gang Show’ is not an event put on by street gangs, it is an entertainment event put on by Scouts (which include not only the young cubs, and the adult scout masters but, these days, girl Scouts). It is a matter of songs, dances and comedy – put on to aid Scout funds (supposedly on every night of the year there is a Gang Show going on someone in the world).
Well on a cold and windy night I walked to event, passing only few groups of youths hanging about on street corners (surely, whatever one thinks of groups like the Scouts, these youngsters would be better off joining in rather than just hanging about, they looked rather depressed – even by my standards).
The singing, dancing and comedy routines were not amazing – but they were not bad either. And I was rather moved by the effort the children put in (the speed of the costume changes alone was very impressive). Even us in the audience tried to do our bit – we stood up and sang “God Save the Queen” at the start, and did a bit of participation in one song and movement thing (yes we proved that we could not sing and were uncoordinated – but we had a go).
My strongest impression was of the attitude of everyone (entertainers, people selling stuff, people checking the tickets, St John’s people on call against anyway getting hurt or falling ill) – all seemed to have a good time and to show benevolence for others.
The Northamptonshire folk may not be wildly attractive (neither the large native Northamptonshire people, nor London overspill stock like me) and they may not be clever or knowledgeable (but intelligence and knowledge are not always an advantage in life – after all I have the ability to produce strong arguments showing how any situation is hopeless and it is pointless to try anything, and I can produce lots of facts and stats to back up my inactive despair), but their faces showed both courage and good will – and not just good will for the event.
The people there were clearly honest and good (if not beautiful or profound). Rather like Tolkien’s hobbits, they are clearly folk who are both decent enough companions in the ordinary run of life – but better companions if something terrible were to happen.
Agree w/you Paul. If I had to choose just one type of people to be around me, I would choose the basically good folks over the beautiful or intelligent.
Hmm, living in Appalachia, I guess I’ve done that. *grin* My favorite small town in Iowa, where I intend to spend my older retirement if Lord willing I live that long, is also like that too. Unselfconsciously good people who get along and help each other out.
When we were involved with 4-H in Chicago, we put together a stage presentation every year which featured every member of the club. One reason we did this was that if the club performance won the local competition, every member, not only those whose other projects took ribbons, got to go to State Fair. The other reason was that my wee wifey felt that learning stage presence would be beneficial to the youngsters. One boy in particular is worth mentioning. At first he was so lacking in self-confidence that he was barely willing to stand in the background but a few years later he played the lead. Last I heard he was working downtown selling upscale menswear.
I was in a Gang Show once, many years ago. We all had a lot of fun. (And one of the sketches was the only time I have ever worn a miniskirt, but I digress).
This reminds me of an encounter a friend of mine had. She teaches high school in a fairly rural collar county outside Tampa. In her first period class, there was a student who meant well, but seemed constantly inattentive. Eventually, the student began to have trouble making it through that first class of the day without falling asleep- dead-to-the-world, snoring asleep.
My friend asked him one day what the problem was. He responded that “the dogs were keeping [him] up.” She asked how many dogs, to which he replied, “thirty.” It turns out he was heir to a long line of redneck dog breeders, going back ages.
Of course, he got laughed at and ribbed – yes, he did have a truck up on blocks in his front yard. etc. He accepted it all with quite country humility, and my friend tried to cut him as much slack as possible.
Well, the kid was certainly ridiculed, and not just in particular, but in the way elites ridicule the rude mechanicals.
Then, just recently, a carjacker shot and killed a policeman not a hundred yards from the school (in front of about a dozen witnesses); it was locked down for safety’s sake, and there was a generally huge production. The suspect went to ground in the woods after wounding two more police, killing a police dog, and generally menacing the neighborhood.
And the police brought out the dogs, some of which that boy’s family had trained, and they caught the murderer.
There’s a truck in his yard because his parents can’t afford to buy him one, and he can’t have a second job because he already has one, non-paying, at home. So he’s building one from scratch.
So, yes, I understand the point here. It will soon be, if it isn’t already, very good to know and have as friends people who may never go to college, etc., but who can build a truck from scratch, and who know the handling of dogs.
just a thought.
All good comments.
On jdubious point: I already have an example of that (although I do not think such things will save me the way Britain or even if it did not go down the drain – my personal prospects are not good).
I once locked myself out of my home. I was busy putting out election stuff for my local Conservative Association (yes, I know, an absurd thing to do) and kept walking back to the house to get more papers – and then one time I walked in and put my keys on the table (rather than back in my belt) so I could use both hands to grab more stuff walked out (with the door automatically locking behind me), and screamed (when what I had just done hit me).
However, my fellow Conservative in the ward was of part romany blood, and an old friend of his was a full blood romany who simply got a wire clothes and made a hook out of it – and opened the latch from the outside (via the letter box).
On Kentuckyliz’ point.
I agree. As for the United States in general:
Now take the word of an arch pessimist – someone to whom a positive mental attitude is totally alien and who can always find the worst in any situation.
I am totally convinced that the United States will survive, more than that – it will come out of the problems of the next few years and be stronger and much more free than it is now.
And if even I think that – you will certainly win through to a good old age in that town you mention, and be part of a great nation – a light to the world.