Do you believe in angels?

I'm not the "praying kind" but today I heard about a group of people who might well be described as angels.

My husband went for a walk on the south coast today with his dad.  They try and do a number of "man walks" every year and it's an opportunity to enjoy the countryside and shoot the breeze at the same time.

Today they were walking near some cliffs and a man wearing a high visibility vest approached them and started a conversation.  He was a Beachy Head Chaplaincy volunteer.

About 30 volunteers take turns patrolling the area near Beachy Head looking for those who are seeking the only solution they believe is left to them.  Their lives are desperate and they are looking for the exit door.

Beachy Head cliffs stand 530 feet high and are, at the same time, a beauty spot and the world's third most popular suicide location.  

Last year this volunteer chaplaincy team saved the lives of 305 people who were despondent.  In May this year they saved 39 lives but one body was recovered, In April they saved 25 lives but two bodies were recovered.

I don't know how one talks someone out of a pit of despair but I admire greatly those who try and succeed.

You, like me, had probably not heard of the Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team until today.  If you'd like to find out more, click here.

A test for colleagues

Here we have my favourite video uploaded by me, of my son being buried in the snow.  You need sound to watch this and get the full benefit.

Flattery will get you nowhere

I was wandering along the HIgh Street today and was approached by a man with leaflets.

He said "Can I give you a leaflet about personal training?"

I told him he was would be wasting his leaflet.

He replied "I appreciate the honesty but can I ask if you've had a bad experience in a gym?"

I told him I hadn't had a bad gym experience.

He asked "But you do train?"

I responded "No."

"Oh" he said "but you look quite fit."

I laughed and laughed and laughed, didn't take a leaflet and carried on walking.

Charitable theft

As we came back to the house I spotted Ethan's scooter left visible in the garden just waiting to be stolen.

I told Ethan he should have tidied it away securely.

Later we left the house and when I returned, on my own, I noticed Ethan's scooter had still been left out.  Ethan had ignored me and hadn't tidied it away despite my threats that it might be stolen.

So I hid it.

When Ethan came home I congratulated him for tidying away his scooter.  He looked to the place where there had been a discarded scooter and found a void.  He was worried.  It had been stolen.

"Can we phone a non emergency police number?" he asked.

"What, because someone was silly enough not to tidy it away and left it in full view?" I replied.  "I don't think so."

We talked about how much the scooter was worth to him and whether he would be prepared to pay a reward for its return.  I offered to create a poster and Ethan agreed that he'd pay £20 to get it back.

I said that if he gave me £20 then I'd get it back to him (obviously via my links to the criminal underworld).  It was a deal.

Ethan went to his room and looked in every nook and cranny and managed to scrape together £19 in change.  His Dad lent him a pound.

He came to me and gave me the handful of coins.

I came clean and we did a different deal.  He could have the scooter back and most of the money but I'd keep one pound and donate it to a local charity.  I also said I'd "steal" anything else that might be left in unsecured location and he wouldn't get it back without a donation to charity.

He thinks he's learnt his lesson.  What do you think?  Should I have kept the £20?  Am I too evil for words?