Folk memory keepers
The two most informed persons in our self-governance of a land smudge that contains two teeny villages, four cemeteries and an expansive wild marshland are Secretary and Cashier. As the face and forefront of the administration both of them serve the incoming stream of souls that find their life impeded by the local democracy's self-imposed rules.
Secretary's day is filled by gooey people who are set to marry, people on business and drooping, wincing people who'd pushed themselves out the house to tell all about what's wrong with the governance.
Cashier meanwhile takes all the brunt of elderly that have been forced to forgo investing their last wad of cash in 17 different types of medicine and a hope for painless couple of days and instead finance their growing account for faint warmth and (if lucky) running water in the historic wooden huts many of them proudly inhabit.
Both Secretary and Cashier spend their vibrating daytime collecting and spreading the local folk stories. They both keep the community's oral history.
I can't decide whom is more eligible for People of the Year award. And I hope each such self-governed community in our patchwork of land have such dedicated memory keepers. At least one would be a blessing.
A few words from Cashier's repertoir:
About mushroom picking: "I said 'hi' to Mother Forest and then walked through the trees and sang 'Peety and Micky both went breaking ceps'. But then I stopped as a thought came, what if somebody passes by and hears me..."
To a child who has spilled juice on her shirt: "What a brooch you have there."
"Empty food" - made without love.
"Have you glued that euro to your butt, if you can't lend it?"
"Don't be afraid from the first time, you'll have others still."
About difficulties with running home: "It seemed that old butt has grown new legs, but no... apparently the same ones."
When we try to wind out the heavy heat in our office room: "Sun is kind of warm this moment..." /Saule jau tāda silta šobrīd/
About a person who actively goes around doing his stuff and having an understanding of what he is doing: "Shurii burii" (with emphasis on the first syllable) /Šurī burī/
About undefined place, time, action: "It's like written with fork in water!" /Tā kā ar tādām dakšām ūdenī rakstīts!/