Pulling Together

A local story told in a local tongue

As the new year is with us and we're all making new year resolutions, I thought perhaps some of you might like to read a story told at our daughter's wedding last May. My apologies if the spelling is not quite right but the story was related in a Norfolk accent.

All the guests had finally gone, and this young couple were alone at last in their home on their wedding night.

The bride was a bit nervous and excited, well you know.

Then the husband says "grab yew that lanten my gal an come alonga me inter the barn. I wonta shew yew summat ."

"Oh my," she thought her heart beginning to race. "This int qwite what my Ma sed to expec t happen.

Anyway she found the light and went with him into the barn.

Then he picked up a length of rope and threw it over a beam.

Now her heart was really pounding, "what wer he a goin t do?"

Hed she dun or sed summut wrong to make him angry with har and he wuz a goin t end the marriage afore it got started!

I mean t say she'd only mardled and smiled at the other ol bors at the wedding to be polite."

"Git yu hold a tuther end o thet rup," he said," while I hold onta this end." So she went and got hold of the rope.

"Now", he say, "pull yu as hard as yu ken."

So she pulled hard on the rope but she couldn't move it. "Cum yu on gel," he say, "yu inta puttin yor back inta it"

Well she pulled and pulled with all her might, but still couldn't move the rope.

"Now," he says, "yu cum over here alonga me an git a hold o this end th'orl rup an pull."

This she did, and when they pulled, the rope easily came over the beam.

So then he says, "Thas how we gotta go on thru life my gel, both apullin

together, cos we inta goin t git nowhere atall pullin agin each other."

Now wouldn't it be nice, (sounds like a good line in a song that), if all the people across the World did that. Unfortunately it seems to me that those with the most power or strongest views, religious and political, pull in their own direction and not in the direction of the common good. As you come down the line you find ordinary folk are more prepared to help each other, being neighbourly, and working for the good of the community. So let's build on that and spread a little happiness, (there's another good line for a song), and who knows it might someday soon reach around the World.

A happy and healthy 2003 to you all.

RG