Perhaps you work in an office, staving off irate customers that the general gross inefficiency of your firm has enraged. You are not well off and always jump at the chance of evening and Saturday overtime doing the Birmingham invoices. Lunch is hurried sandwiches of white bread, spam and lettuce. For nearly half the year you are hardly ever outside when it it light. This regime does not build you up. On the way home you are mugged. An individual, about your age wants your money. Consider his likely recent regime. Three good meals a day, two to three hours a day in the gym, pumping iron, and plenty of rest. That's right, prison. If you want to survive, perhaps you should not 'have a go'.
You watch four stylish youths, some black say, and some white, a mix of yardies and lardies. They are part of a gang with gang T shirts. 'No Fear..Turf Rulers' thereon. They perform before your very eyes a mugging as above, relieving John Doe of his wallet and mobile phone. I see your statement to the Police Officer. "I saw it all. I can identify all of them, easy. Two live only just round the corner, they know me by sight I think. I can identify lots of other members of the gang if you like. Nobody else saw it? Well I am surprised. There were lots of people about. They must go round with their eyes closed." End of statement and end of peaceful existence.
Unless and until a draconian regime is in force here where any case of witness intimidation, down to a funny look, gets ten years without the option, and no gyms in prison, it might be better for you not to see everything quite so clearly.
Remember we are talking survival to a reasonable old age without too many furrows and humps on your path of life. A simple tip is speak less. Just don't say so much. If you are saying to yourself.. 'Shall I say so and so, or not?' Don't. I do not advocate taciturnity but world organisers such as us tend to say a lot more than is strictly necessay. We see talk as the Polyfilla of social interaction. Let the crevasses gape. Silence is golden. This applies domestically or anywhere else, the less you say, the less is open to misinterpretation, or seizing on and flinging back in your teeth when appropriate. Be a 'quiet' person, they survive best.
Don't know. A much underused phrase. A silly pride that we all have makes us want to know everything, and if asked to share that knowledge, what joy. It is very often better not to know. I know. 'Don't know' may not get you admired but it won't get you into trouble either. As more and more of the population get qualifications in general dimness, anyone who has a perception and awareness of what's going on and where, is used more and more. You know the set up. If you are asked. 'Where is the Co-Op?' and it's down the road, virtually in sight, tell them, no trouble. Then they say, 'Do they sell newspapers?' Don't know. 'Lottery tickets?' Don't know. 'Puppy dogs?'. Don't know. Whatever you do, don't go off on the 'helpful' tangent. 'But there is a newsagent in City Road, bit difficult from here but you....' Save yourself, by the time they have got lost and are coming back round in their third circle as you are coming out of the Co-Op with the potatoes, you will get some hard words and gestures for your pains. Let everybody else find out things the way you did. You didn't go round pestering everybody. You've not been put here just to smooth their passage through life. Smooth your own.
Peter :-6
