ReVISITING "THE STREETS of LONDON". Let ME take you by the HAND and LEAD you through the STREETS of LONDON.

STOP. TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOURSELF

Every human being has a beating heart and a soul.

We all desire to survive and to prosper …..

to live LIFE without the gnawing feeling of fear, hunger or suffering.

If we plan well and work hard,

then life can always be better if we shed aside negativism and change our perspectives.

Every day, 1.2 billion people – one fifth of the world’s inhabitants – cannot fulfil their most basic needs, let alone attain their dreams or desires.

We are really lucky, aren’t WE?

Yet most of us who are leading charmed lives can never find the time to pause

and take stock of our own blessings.

Come on, have a heart.

Let’s pool together to do our teeny parts to make this sordid world a better place to dwell in.

LONDON?

Ah, during late Autumn or Winter, this numbing feeling can be abysmal.

Shorter days, longer nights.

And the intense chill and frost bites blending well with the cheerless mood.

You might have hummed along with the classic hit called STREETS OF LONDON.

Lovely!

Eons ago, I discovered this tearful song that never fails to instil an absolute sense of tingling foreboding in me.

There’s this old world charm about the lyrics that’d probably touch a zillion souls.

Something about life and loneliness entwined, of poverty, reminding us to treasure whatever material wealth we  may have now, no matter  how frugal we should be, to count our blessings.

In this forlorn world, there’ll many who are deprived of company, warmth and food, if we look hard enough.

 

The STREETS OF LONDON is a song with a soul,

beckoning you to incite healing in this cold, dreary world ….

Let me run the meaningful lyrics for you here:

Have you seen the old man

In the closed-down market

Kicking up the paper,

with his worn out shoes?

In his eyes you see no pride

Hand held loosely at his side

Yesterday’s paper telling yesterday’s news

Chorus: So how can you tell me you’re lonely,

And say for you that the sun don’t shine?

Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London

I’ll show you something to make you change your mind

Have you seen the old girl

Who walks the streets of London

Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags?

She’s no time for talking,

She just keeps right on walking

Carrying her home in two carrier bags.

Chorus

In the all night cafe

At a quarter past eleven,

Same old man is sitting there on his own

Looking at the world

Over the rim of his tea-cup,

Each tea lasts an hour

Then he wanders home alone

Chorus

Have you seen the old man

Outside the Seaman’s Mission

Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears

In our winter city,

The rain cries a little pity

For one more forgotten hero

And a world that doesn’t care.

POVERTY doesn’t just exist in third world countries,  it’s rampant everywhere..

Due to the escalating costs of living, lack of goverment support sometimes, and a poor job market, the current global crunch, many are finding it even harder to support themselves & their families – circumstances forcing them to become homeless or live out on the streets.

And not just the men and women, but also CHILDREN and the DISABLED.

We are going through a global recession now.

Avoid overindulgence.

Go easy on the bank credit and live within your means.

Save money for a rainy day.

You never know when the storm will come.

Get wise, be prepared.

Prevention is better than cure.

Life’s full of unexpected surprises that will come aknocking when you least expect them.

Smile, render a kind deed.

If each of us does one part to cheer this troubled world and maintain the harmony, then the entire planet would be a joyous place to live in.

TRY IT!

Let’s borrow a line from the evergreen MY FAIR LADY musical -

” WOULDN’T IT BE LOVERLY ” …..

Right?