23 April 2016

I live on a busy main road next to a river and as I look out of the window all life would seem to be there, traffic, runners, walkers, people playing with their phones and most certainly cyclists. Cyclists indeed seem to have taken over the pavement next to the river which they share with pedestrians despite the large notices which read ‘CYCLISTS PLEASE GIVE WAY TO PEDESTRIANS’..

This seems to be just one example of how when we are granted a privilege, for which at first we are very grateful, we soon begin to view it as our right and take it for granted as ‘ours’ believing that we deserve it. There is a school of thought which believes that we must earn our right to privileges and the cyclists campaigned long and hard through their pressure group to be given the right to cycle on the pavement. But now they take for granted this privilege believing it is their right to cycle on the pavement and it seems, that many of them totally disregard pedestrians thereby denying the principle purpose of pavements or ‘walkways’.

My reflections on this matter have encouraged me to consider what privileges were once out of my reach but which now I view as my right and take for granted. This has caused me to consider how, in what areas and what ways it might be good to show my appreciation for things I take for granted by in the first instant ‘being grateful’ and in the second instant giving to others.