Oh yes

I almost forgot. Yesterday I was on my way to the tram, in my own little world, when a small figure woke me from my catatonic state. An old lady, stooped and fragile looking, was beckoning towards me across the road. I looked around, as you do, to make sure that there was no relative, or friend she was calling to, but there was nobody else around. I'm not one for ignoring people, so I crossed the road, and approached her house, where she was stood in the door. As I walked up, she asked most politely if I would help her with a problem. I like to think I'm a helpful sort of bloke, but I did have a secret dread that there was going to be something unpleasant about this request. She asked me to follow her into her house, and it was clear that she was living in the one room downstairs. She walked with that slow, unsteady gait, that made it clear she was not well. I followed her into the room and asked her what I could do to help. She was concerned that her clocks were wrong, and she had to know what the correct time was, she said. She thought that her home help hadn't altered then for the recent change for Summer time. I checked the clock on her wall and it was running about 4 minutes fast. I told her this, and she asked me if I would mind getting it down and altering it for her. I was more than happy to oblige, and whilst I was altering it she turned up the heat on her gas fire, even though the room was already sweltering. She thanked me most profusely and asked me to make sure the front door was locked on my way out. I left feeling good about myself - a few minutes out of my day had reassured an old lady that she knew what the correct time was, and that was something she had felt upset enough about to beckon a complete stranger into her house. I hope she doesn't make a habit of it though, not everyone is well meaning in this day and age.