The enthusiasm of youth

My younger son bounded out of bed this morning yelling at the top of his voice that it was snowing. Us less enthusiastic folks noticed a solitary snowflake and rolled over for an extra 5 mins before braving the cold. Needless to say a new cold snap means that the new (and supposedly improved) central heating timer has decided to wave its white flag and stop working.

But it did get me thinking about when it is that we lose our enthusiasm for things. In my case, I probably haven’t lost it – son number one groans whenever he has to suffer both his brother and I on a particularly enthusiastic for life day. He feels Marvin the paranoid android probably had it right and that we are the equivalent of the Sunshine Corporation’s talking doors (apologies to those who never enjoyed the Hitchhikers guide top the Galaxy).

Well – it’s half term next week – so here’s hoping for a snowman or two.

In at the deep end.

I attended my first planning meeting at South Cambs District Council yesterday – speaking re a cottage in Coton, a proposed new development for Caldecote and the proposed sixth form college for Comberton. Given that we were in Cambourne I’m relieved I got all village names out in the right order!

What stunned me was the robustness of the debate. Officers were put through the mill by members to make sure that all issues were thoroughly thrashed out before a vote was taken. It was also heartening to see that members were not voting along any party lines – it was democracy at its best.

A long afternoon but very worthwhile and an experience I hope to repeat in the not too distant future.