Gain and Loss...

Well, on Wednesday my money finally arrived. After many many days of frustration it has finally plopped unceremoniously (except by me) into my bank account. I stood in the centre of my little flat and I shouted at the top of my voice and then I cried and cried with absolute relief. It is over, it is finally over.

That evening I went to Waitrose and bought a 'decent' bottle of wine, an extra sweet pineapple, some raspberries and some clotted cream. All expensive, all deliciously decadent and all consumed with relish.

Since then I have dined on mince and slices of quince
Which I ate with a runcible spoon;
And glass in hand, on the edge of the sand,
I have danced by the light of the moon ...



I have a very close friend who is suffering very badly from tooth decay. His problems began as a small boy when an accident caused broken teeth and nerve damage and an ongoing problem. He used to keep a close eye on them with constant regular trips to the dentist in the times when dental care was free. But since then, as he is very low earner, he has been unable to do this. This is a terrible indictment of our times. The problem now is past repair and his only choice is to have all his teeth removed. He is not a vain man, but the thought of false teeth is depressing him dreadfully.

At the moment he finds eating very painful and is losing weight at a pretty rapid rate. He desperately hopes that he will win the lottery so that he can have dental implants. This is his dream. Even having dentures will be difficult for him to afford. There are many jobs that he would apply for (having a brain the size of this planet) but his appearance would be a real problem. He hardly smiles because of self consciousness

I wish 'Jim'll fix it' still existed because I would put him forward for a makeover. It makes me very sad and angry on his behalf.

The financially disadvantaged only have the choice of rotten teeth or a mouth full of plastic. Not much of a choice really.