Use it or lose it

It’s worth remembering when you sit in a traffic jam, sighing in exasperation, that you are part of the problem, because yours is one of the vehicles clogging up the roads. It’s also worth remembering that if you feel the life has gone out of your high street, you are part of the problem, unless you have never bought anything from a supermarket or an online shop. If you moan about the closing of pubs in your town, but never go to those that are open – well, you get the idea.

I’m lucky enough to live in a town that has plenty on offer should you fancy a night out. We have, amongst other things, a theatre and a playhouse, we have a museum and art gallery that puts on regular events, we have pubs offering live music, we have a symphony orchestra, we have am-dram groups and choirs that love to perform, and we have an arts centre that has a comedy night every month and lots of other comedy, music and drama events in between. These venues struggle to find an audience, yet I hear people say there’s nothing to do here. They are wrong. At best they are ill-informed; at worst they are lazy. Netflix or a walk into town? Hm. 

If your town is dying on its arse, you are part of the problem. If nobody supports those people trying to keep the town going, they will stop trying. And then you really will have something to moan about.