Dear Webuyanycar.com, down Harborough Hills. You are always busy so people book an appointment online. But what’s the point of that when you also take drop in appointments. Friends of ours took their car down at their allotted time to find themselves in a very long queue of people, none of whom had appointments but who had just dropped in on the off-chance. I think your system might need a bit of an MOT.
I heard a lovely thing last week which lifted my spirits in a week that badly needed lifting: ‘Glimmers’. Whereas a ‘trigger’ puts your body on alert, a ‘glimmer’ puts your body into a state of contentment. A ‘micro moment of joy’. I must confess that I’m not one for psychobabble but it was an inviting concept finding a neutraliser for negativity in a climate where all news is bad. I found a site all about the positive effect of seeking out glimmers and enjoying the little bubble of pleasure they give.
The examples they gave were very Julie Andrews: the feeling of rain on the skin, a kitten’s purr, a stranger’s smile - all made me a bit sick in my mouth, but you get the drift. My glimmers are more likely to be found in one of my kids saying actual words to me rather than grunts, or my mother being able to press the right button on the telephone for once. If you find a glimmer, take a moment to enjoy it. Try and find a glimmer every single day. I won’t say it will revolutionise your life, but it is rather a sweet thing to do so I felt duty-bound to pass on.
As a young widowed friend of mine takes the first leap into the world of online dating, my advice to her was to bail at the first inkling of a red flag waving. Women especially ignore the intuition they are gifted and rationalise doubts until they’re in too deep.
In a week where it is reported ‘scamming sweethearts’ tricked victims out of record £30.9 million last year in the UK alone, be careful my friends. You only have to watch the programmes where a mature woman has fallen for the charms of some bloke in his twenties on holiday who looks like a god. One minute she’s transferring money over to him, buying them a house but putting it in his name and the next she’s on a programme telling everyone how she got fleeced out of her life savings.
There are many decent people on dating apps looking to connect, but there are also gangs operating because it’s big business. They can sniff out desperation and loneliness in people who want to believe that whatever ‘Mr or Miss beautiful profile photo’ says is gospel. Be always on your guard. Love brings gifts, gifts do not bring love. If you connect with someone online who is reticent to move the relationship from online to face to face meeting, there’s a dodgy reason behind it. But I’ve got friends who are very happy with spouses they’ve met online so it can be done.
I know that if me and the other half fell out that I could always hook up with one of the many top American army generals that contact me on social media telling me what a beautiful soul I have and wanting to be friends. It makes me shudder to think how many vulnerable people out there believe Colonel Todd Vegas really is what it says on the tin.
