ON LOAN

Different people have different ideas of what is meant by a loan. For me a loan is where you have use of something that belongs to someone else. I don't think that is a unfair interpretation.

The real challenge is deciding what fee there is for such a loan. I mean if you are using the property of another it is understandable they would expect a fee for such help.

And depending on the person and the nature of their loan will affect that fee. Of course, from my point of view, I personally do better when the loan of whatever is something the person just is happy to let me use.

It just adds to the joy for me. Because after all, it isn't that I enjoy having to actually borrow some things. Still it does happen.

Then there are the times when the loaning is related to some act of kindness. You know, I'm trying to help somebody and along the way they end up helping me. It is a loan of sorts from a benefit process instead of a need.

I find those occasions come up quite often for me as a Mayor. My job does involve people and that always means they will have a lot of needs.

Why take the other day for example. I came to the aid of one of the voters. Poor soul was very sad and lonely. It happens. Just needed a shoulder to cry on.

So in the spirit of good will, I dropped by to help the person feel some much needed comfort. And I am happy to say that by the time I was done, the person felt much better.

Yes, those really are the special times I cherish the most. Of course, I suppose technically that the loan of gratitude for my help in this situation was a tad different than in some cases.

After all, the person did loan me something very special. But in part I imagine the loan was of some "equipment" normally she would have only used in association with her husband.

Naturally, we didn't feel the need to share the details of our loan with her husband. Some things are better left unsaid don't you think.

In the end though, it was a joy to have served the public and that is always something I'll cherish. That and the relief of being able to know that her husband does work out of town.

I mean there are times when some husbands just don't seem to appreciate the demands on me in terms of such giving. And it is very hard if they come on unexpectedly to have them listen when you've been helping their wives in the bedroom.