Getting the vaccine has lifted spirits
There must be something else in the wee jag we’re getting that does more than stop you getting coronavirus.
I’ve never seen as many people smiling after they get their vaccination.
And that’s something which is important for folks’ general wellbeing, along with protection against the virus.
As one of the more, ahem... mature among us, I got my jag the other day and I was struck by the change in demeanour of people as they came out the vaccination centre.
I’ve spoken to a few folk about this and they tell me they have a feeling of huge relief after getting their vaccination and it has put a spring in their step now they have tangible evidence their life isn’t going to be doom and gloom for evermore.
Going for a jag also helps brighten the day for those who live alone and miss the company of other people, as, perhaps, for the first time in ages, they get the chance to have social interaction with other people at the vaccination centres.
When I visited the Lagoon for my jag, I saw a lot of people I hadn’t seen for a long time.
I even bumped into a guy
I was at school with - which wasn’t yesterday, I have to say - and I probably hadn’t spoken to since we were kicking a ball around the playground.
I also want to pay tribute to the NHS and Lagoon staff for the way they helped people who arrived for the vaccination. I certainly got the impression they cared for and wanted to help everyone who came along for their jag.
But it’s important to remember that getting your first vaccination is just the beginning of the end of our Covid nightmare and there’s still a wee bit to go before we can all have a mass group hug in the streets.
We still need to be vigilant and follow the Covid stay-at-home guidelines, so the virus doesn’t get another foothold and the positive cases start to shoot up again.
However, I’d rather concentrate on the positives of recent weeks and the mass vaccinations are like St Mirren winning 1-0 in the cup final and we’ve 20 minutes to hang on for a famous victory.
And talking about mass group hugs, wouldn’t it be brilliant once we get the all clear to have just that. One big group hug with your neighbours and friends - or even the whole of Paisley down at the cross one night!
I’ve been hearing about some unsung heroes wandering the streets of Paisley.
And I’ve seen for myself the fantastic efforts of people who volunteer to patrol the highways and byways picking up litter from the pavements and the side of the road.
There’s a lady in Glenburn who does just that and the other day a pal of mine was driving on the road back from Elderslie to Foxbar and saw a guy out picking litter off the verges on the road.
You might have spotted them yourself as they meticulously scour the streets with a bin bag in one hand and a litter picker in the other picking up empty crisp packets, cans of juice and discarded burger boxes that have been selfishly left for someone else to deal with.
I’m sure there are good souls all over Renfrewshire doing the same and they all deserve praise.
If you are driving by one of them picking litter, why don’t you give them a toot on your horn and a thumbs up, or if you’re passing on foot, just say ‘thanks’ for what they are doing.
Some might say that it’s the job of the council to pick up litter, but in these desperate times of Scottish Government cutbacks to council funding, it’s not possible to do everything we’d want to.
I’ve heard many times over the years that the council is to blame for litter problems on our streets.
But I’ve yet to see a squad of council workers being sent out to throw paper, fag packets of half-eaten carry-out meals on to our pavements.
If people would stop being so selfish and unthinking and take their litter home, or place it in a bin somewhere, we wouldn’t have a litter problem. But, until the litterbug culture is changed, it’s a hat-tip to the litter picker volunteers.
Stay safe, folks