Learning that ‘I want doesn’t get’

IN the letter from Unison organiser Natalie Ratcliffe (Yorkshire Post, August 7), I see the first two paragraphs began, “I want...”, and the last ends, “All I want for Christmas...”

A favourite saying of my mother was “I want doesn’t get”. She was right. Visiting Father Christmas at Bradford Busby’s in 1942, I asked him to bring my Daddy home for Christmas (I was just three).

The poor man was stuck for an answer. Dad actually came home for Christmas 1945.

Ask the kids today whose dads are in Afghanistan.

You can’t always have what you want.

Free answers on Afghanistan

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

A NEW £8m research centre has been opened to study the effects of roadside bombs on British troops – here’s some free information for ‘em: the bombs kill, cripple physically and mentally all who come into contact with them. A documented fact.

The centre will also attempt to devise equipment to protect personnel – here’s some more free advice: apologise to the Afghans for not leaving the day you realised Osama bin Laden had moved out; put all troops on to planes and bring them home, 100 per cent protected from IEDs.

There! Saved: £8m and countless lives.

Total cost: Less than 40 pence.