A Good Thing to Do

29th May, 2009

During the week I called at a home that turned out to be a centre for people who would otherwise be homeless or in hostels. They asked that I called back again to meet with all of the residents. I did that last night.

I called in with Ray McAdam, who is our local election candidate for that area. I had mixed feelings as I approached the door. The last thing that I wanted to be doing is perceived to be opportunistic or in any way inappropriate in calling to meet them. I also thought that they might have forgotten that I was due to arrive and that it could all descent into embarrassment.

I knocked. The door opened. They were all waiting for me. Ray and I went into their back garden and sat down with the 10 residents. They were delighted to meet us. They were all intending to vote (but many of them made clear that it would not be for me!). They were full of questions about me, Ray, Enda and Fine Gael. They wanted to know what we would do differently for them and how we could improve their care. I spent a lot of time asking them about their lives. The truth is that they had all taken a bad knock at some point, and that they didn’t recover from it. This could happen to us all at any time. Things could all just conspire against you, and a fate that you always thought reserved for others descends on you.

I am going to call back in when this election is finished. They are citizens, residents and voters and deserve the same support and service that I try to give everyone else.