Tuesday January 7th 2025 and listening to The Jeremy Vine show Channel 5 on the car radio this morning the author of new book shy listened as he heard about “all the FLOODING throughout the country following all the bad weather over last few day’s. Particularly in the Midlands and around Leicester, so many quotes have emerged from people trying to cope with unresolved issues, identical to those they faced last year. One frustrated resident shared, “It’s so frustrating. The local authorities, highways, and the environmental agency are so slow to respond.”
Another caller recounted their village’s ongoing struggles: “We told the environmental agency last year, after our village was flooded, and even got a consultant report confirming what we already knew — we need the bank of our river to be raised just a bit. We asked, Have you done it yet?’ The response was always, ‘It’s a long job, etc., etc.’ We said, ‘Okay, but can we do it?’ They replied, ‘No, you can’t.’ Then we asked, ‘What can we do then?’ They told us, ‘You need a permit.’ We thought, ‘Okay, no problem. How long to get it approved?’ And they said, ‘At least 12 months!’ British bureaucracy at its worst!”
Shows like this give a voice to the Great British Public as they fight against countless petty small-minded roadblocks. And, as quoted in the ‘shy’ book, “PETTY SMALL MINDERS ARE UNQUESTIONABLY EVERYWHERE.”
As the author of 'shy' continues to listen, he can't help but think about how these petty small-minded roadblocks can affect not only physical infrastructure like roads and rivers, but also personal growth and progress. The constant frustrations and barriers presented by these petty small-minders can lead to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness for those trying to make a positive change in their lives.
But as mentioned in the book, there are ways to combat these negative influences. It takes courage, determination, and resilience to push through and overcome the challenges posed by petty small-mindedness.
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