LEADS

today i catch the 10:03 up to yorkie shire
the edinburgh-bound train
the normal last-minute rush down the steps to platform 4
the clock says 10:01 as i step onto train
'is this the train for leeds?' i ask buffet car lady
just to make sure
'no, love, this one's going up the west coast' she says casually
oh no!
platform shoes
check handily-placed departures screen
oops - there are two edinburgh-bound services
both leaving at 10:03
(who planned that one?)
and the one i want is over on platform 10!
back up steps three at a time
career through concourse
back down more steps
train's still waiting
launch self through open door
hear the beep behind me
turn and watch door slide shut
the story of my life played out in a few short minutes...
the 10:03 gallops through bright fields
that look more like lakes
the heavy rains have taken their toll
it's easy to get complacent
when you live on top of a hill
i'm headed for the yorkie capital to meet up with colin b
my pal from south shields
col's over from deutschland on a flying visit
we used to kick around together for a bit in london
when jinny and i first moved there
till col got tired of life in the capital
working for someone else
and set himself up as a freelancer in frankfurt
we roam the windswept streets of leeds
through handsome victorian arcades with stained glass roofs
catching up n chewing the fat
we track down an ornate victorian pub
with rows of intimate booths perfect for hatching plots
today leeds...tomorrow the worlldddd!
i sup a pint of workie ticket
and pick up a bit of north-east slang
('working the ticket' = pushing yer luck)
one of col's big things is marketin'
how to communicate ideas
in a way that makes people sit up & listen
over home-made veggie sausages and mash
in his droll style
col talks about his latest read
'made to stick'
by the brothers heath
apparently the bros identify
six key elements of a memorable massage
simplicity:
one simple idea
unexpectedness:
something that takes yer by surprise
concreteness:
as opposed to abstraction
something tangible that yer mind can latch up to
credibility
a message that rings true
emotional resonance
a message that hits ya in the guts, not just in the head
stories
tying it all up together in a meaningful narrative...
worked out the seven-letter acronym yet?
food for thought
if y'll pardon the pun
on the way home i manage to get the right platform this time
but there i am still racing through the doors
with seconds to spare...
old habits die hard!