When I was a zealous, idealistic youth I used to stand on street corners selling a socialist newspaper, convinced the socialist revolution would save the world from ruin. Looking back to the 1970s its difficult not to see myself as a tad deluded. Not because Ive stopped believing in socialism I still reckon its our only hope but, well, pissing into the wind is a phrase that springs to mind and pretty well covers peoples apathy. An incident, one very cold, wintry afternoon in Dudley, West Midlands, spoke volumes.
My friend, Dave, and I had been standing at a busy street corner for nearly two hours. We hadnt sold a single newspaper. We were beginning to wonder if wed finally lost our minds. Shoppers scurried around us looking for bargains in the January sales, oblivious to the two young men freezing to death in what was quickly becoming a blizzard. We sheltered in a shop doorway. About to give up and go home, in fact rapidly losing the will to live, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned. Before me stood a man carrying two large, bulging bin bags.
