will never be rich, yet I am rich already.
I will never be famous, but already I have fame.

Written on 22nd December, 35000 feet over Greenland. No internet connectivity so I'm left to my own wisdom and a couple of those bound bits of paper things called books.

One can always think of things to do with more money. "When we are rich ... " suggest Lisa about flying a class up so that there's room to work on this laptop. Ah - but rich is having one and a half times the resources we already have. Yet we are rich already - the rich fabric of an enjoyed life, health, great kids and more things I want to do than I have time to do.

No one on this flight (apart from the sardine to my left and the sardine to my right) knows me. And that's as I would expect, and hope, and that's how it is for the majority of folks. But everyone gets their own fame - not 15 minutes, but ongoing, in their circle. And that's lovely - an earned fame.

I was down at Sainsbury's in Melksham on Saturday morning, looking for something I could cook for lunch for six. The Lions were collecting for Christmas - good on them, yet at the same time I just get so many requests for money. However, I've headed off-topic.

"Hello - I'll see you on the way out" I say to the guy who's collecting and I've gotten to know because of "the train thing" in the last few month. "Thanks, Graham, but put it to the train campaign" he says. And that warmed the cockles of my heart. The true Christmas spirit.

The Train Campaign isn't desperate for money. I'm quite happy to pay some small-run print and postage costs and my 2 pounds a year for the domain name (savethetrain.org.uk). What I really need is time, and people with time to add their voices.

And ... "The Spirit of Melksham" - perhaps also the spirit of many other friendly places, but certainly not what I was used to at our previous address where I felt like an incomer, even after 20 years. "The Spirit". An urgent email on Tuesday to people telling them of a brief window of opportunity, and a request to them to write in and take that window. Bless you, all of you who wrote back and said "Yes, I will". And the spirit's there too in the experts and officials, who we may have thought of as dusty shirts, penpushers or jobsworths; some of them emphatically are NOT. They've a hidden sea of great knowledge and wisdom, and they're happy to help the newcomer learn and explain things to him and help along the mutual cause. Gentlemen, I take my hat off to you and learn from you in my own teaching.

And the spirit bears fruit. Small questions answered, little contacts made that grow to bigger ones. It might not seem much to you, dear "Open Source" reader, but I now have - AT LONG LAST - a definition of "break even point" in traffic terms for a small country station such as Melksham. I now feel placed to discuss with some knowledge the "low traffic levels" that we're told about.

My fame has lead these good people to help support my quest. And from it, I gain a richness of fulfilment. Wow - thank you everyone.
(written 2005-12-23, updated 2009-01-28)

 Z300 - Politics and Religion
  [3592] Are we one man, one vote? No, and we never have been. - (2012-01-26)
  [3438] Melksham to become a part of Trowbridge? - (2011-09-13)
  [3325] The Olympic Torch, and Melksham House - (2011-06-14)
  [3323] Is Melksham town centre dying? - (2011-06-11)
  [3313] What does our MP do on a Bank Holiday? - (2011-05-30)
  [3264] Alternative Vote (AV) - explaining and an example - (2011-04-25)
  [3051] Positively reforming the system - could it be done? - (2010-11-14)
  [2971] Should the public sector compete with businesses? and other deep questions - (2010-09-26)
  [2948] Melksham shamefully makes the national headlines - (2010-09-07)
  [2870] Old prices - what would the equivalent price have been in 1966? - (2010-07-14)
  [2864] Changing with weather and seasons - (2010-07-10)
  [2856] Two sides of the coin - (2010-07-06)
  [2824] A pint of Black Rat, and a lazy barman - (2010-06-25)
  [2792] Should Government compete with private industry? - (2010-06-03)
  [2757] Bodicea, Lincoln, and our new MP - (2010-05-09)
  [2752] Voting day - UK General Election - (2010-05-06)
  [2740] Melksham Hustings at George Ward School - (2010-04-26)
  [2712] A more informed decision than ever before - (2010-04-08)
  [2689] Can my dog eat potatoes? Doggie Dietary Research, and political sleaze! - (2010-03-23)
  [2640] How is your tax pound spent? - (2010-02-18)
  [2353] All change - Wiltshire Parliamentary - (2009-08-13)
  [2288] Wiltshire Community Area Partnerships - (2009-07-15)
  [2279] Understanding the new local government structure in Wiltshire - (2009-07-11)
  [2270] Wiltshire - a chance to improve life for everybody - (2009-07-05)
  [2257] Ramblings on church and state linkage in Melksham - (2009-06-25)
  [2206] Spot the odd one out - (2009-05-29)
  [2178] Melksham Candidates for Wiltshire Unitary Election - (2009-05-12)
  [2075] Supporting Parkinsons and Trains - (2009-03-11)
  [2028] Things people say on the phone - (2009-02-06)
  [2012] The Wiltshire Police - (2009-01-29)
  [1987] One Cheer for Local Democracy - Asda in Melksham - (2009-01-11)
  [1882] Wiltshire Council says - part 2 - (2008-11-14)
  [1881] Wiltshire Council says - part 1 - (2008-11-13)
  [1872] Barack Obama wins US Predidency - (2008-11-05)
  [1769] July child ponders on August children - (2008-08-23)
  [1729] Back from the future - (2008-07-30)
  [1579] Rome, and the faith of Rome - (2008-03-17)
  [1573] Budget tax increases hit vehicle market - (2008-03-14)
  [1526] Carers at work - court case changes - (2008-02-01)
  [1428] Travel Across Wiltshire - the game - (2007-11-11)
  [1386] New software product for warmblooded programmers - (2007-10-10)
  [1350] FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) Western Region - (2007-09-13)
  [1260] An inspirational business talk from one of our prospective MPs - (2007-07-06)
  [1247] An afternoon at a public enquiry - (2007-06-27)
  [1175] Local elections - choosing who to vote for - (2007-05-03)
  [1135] Government pressure on me to shut up after I make the papers - (2007-04-05)
  [1109] False imprisonment - a contrast from the news - (2007-03-15)
  [1060] What a relief from the tax office. - (2007-02-01)
  [1003] Room at the Inn, Guy at the station - (2006-12-21)
  [967] Realistic on line shoot'em up - (2006-12-05)
  [875] Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones - (2006-09-22)
  [780] Separation and Integration - (2006-06-27)
  [750] Almost everyone loses - (2006-06-07)
  [696] Is than an uphill or downhill task? - (2006-04-23)
  [682] Iran has enriched uranium ... - (2006-04-12)
  [674] Wiltshire to get an extra MP - (2006-04-07)
  [671] Both ends of the animal - (2006-04-05)
  [607] On being British - (2006-02-14)
  [602] MP face to face - (2006-02-12)
  [505] Would you steal ... petrol? ... a training course? - (2005-11-26)
  [469] Yesterday was Kiss and Ride - (2005-10-19)
  [415] Campaign Drift and efficiency. - (2005-08-15)
  [384] Managing conflict and disappointment - (2005-07-20)
  [377] A Strengthened City - (2005-07-14)
  [335] Sad priorities - (2005-06-03)
  [326] UK Tax payment totals and where the money is spent - (2005-05-27)
  [313] Making bona fide international marriages more difficult - (2005-05-16)
  [301] General Election day, UK - (2005-05-05)
  [289] MP for Devizes, Wiltshire - (2005-04-23)
  [280] Spotted - the local MP - (2005-04-15)
  [257] Politics gets nasty. Must be an election coming up. - (2005-03-25)
  [216] Cheap purchase - votes paid for with selfish promises - (2005-02-15)

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