Tragic Life Stories

I saw this book genre in Smiths the other day! I wonder why these types of books are so popular, is it that reading these stories makes us feel better about our own lives or is it morbid curiosity. Is the need to spectate on others lives in this way akin to the need some people seem to have for reality TV programmes, the news agents are full of magazines that detail tragic and sensationalised episodes from peoples lives.Even more puzzling is why people want to share deeply personal and often embarrassing information about them selves? It would be nice to think that sharing their experiences helped people to come to terms with the things that have happened to them. However I feel that it is more likely that they profit from publishing their stories and while I am sure many of these accounts are true there are some that seem less than credible.

Corner Shop

I was in our local corner shop this morning and witnessed the following. An old gentleman was having trouble finding what he needed. One of the assistants helped him find what he was looking for. Then he went to the counter to pay; by this point it had become obvious to me that he had very limited vision. He offered a five and ten pound note, he obviously didn't know their value. The assistant told him which note was which, helped him sort his change out and made sure he got a receipt. Maybe I'm cynical but I can't imagine an assistant showing that level of consideration in a big supermarket. I know I use the big supermarkets but as a busy single Mum working way more hours than I am paid for I do find them convenient. However i would hate to see a time when corner shops didn't exist.