Pointing the Finger

A lost glove by the Water of Leith, Edinburgh. Someone put it on the railing. How nice. Someone positioned it rather offensively. How rude.

Passing walkers on the Tanfield section of the Water of Leith Walkway averted their eyes! From an old wooly glove on a fence! I even hesitated to post it on Blip in case offence is taken! How could this happen?

The interplay between loss; thankless anonymous assistance; deliberate offensiveness; and public reaction was a fascinating spectacle. The chain of events desserves some consideration.

This, in short, is art. Oh, yes it is! Stay with me for a bit...

First it was lost. Now, this isn't a fancy glove. It appears to be an adult sized glove. It's not a glove you'd take skiing, it wouldn't be much use on a bicycle. This is one of a 'spare' pair, cheap and ultimately disposable. The other one is likely already in the bin, it's owner slightly miffed but not too bothered.

But this glove was picked up and stuck on the fence.

Perhaps the finder just wanted to secure the glove to the railing so it wouldn't fall off again in these high winds we're having, and this particular arrangement was an accident?

Or, did the finder decide they would rebel against their own niceness with an act of public defiance? Did they think that their niceness outweighed their offensiveness? That they would be excused because they had been nice?

Or did a youngster in a group pick it up and arrange it for laughs, embarrased by their true altruistic intentions and so hiding behind the offensive effect created?

Or did someone come along after the original do-gooder and arrange the glove to exhibit their hostile attitude to society, without being nasty enough to throw the glove on the ground?

Will the owner come and reclaim the glove? Will they want it now that it's offended so many innocent eyes?

Who do we deplore more - the person who has saved the glove but caused offence, or the many people who we imagine previously walked past the dropped glove without picking it up?

Why hasn't anyone re-arranged the glove so that it doesn't offend?

Why didn't I?

Well, because it's pretty funny isn't it? But why is it funny? It's the shock of comprehension of the total situation. "What's that? ... Oh! Hahaha ;)". That particularly British, smutty and ultimately innocent humour that underpins Carry On, Benny Hill and "Dad jokes" which it's my proud duty to uphold.

At work I'm right in the middle of fixing a computer project which I actually don't think we should be doing at all. It's tempting to point the finger - but we'll just get on and get the job done. Amazing how a found glove can express the mixed reaction which that situation creates!