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Dedicated to the Bible reader on the bus who "hmmph"'d at me Monday.
The bus is crowded. The bus is noisy. The bus stops suddenly, starts chokingly, and sways to boot. What little pleasure I have on the bus is usually attributed to nice folks who smile when we are in "standing room only" mode, the men who offer up seats to the ladies, the ability to play Tetris on my cell phone.
And once in awhile, perhaps one day out of five, I strike up conversation with a stranger or new acquaintance.
On the day in question I squeezed myself into a spot between two large ladies. "Donna" was on this four-seater bench too, but we were separated by above-mentioned Bible reader. Ms. Bible Reader was reading around Psalms 31. I was thinking of saying something to her, since my very favorite Psalm happens to be #33. But, before the words could get out she had flipped over to Proverbs. About three minutes later she flipped over to Song of Solomon. Moments later, Isaiah.
Curious. I guess it wasn't what you call in-depth reading. More like browsing, or perhaps window shopping. (Verse shopping?).
Anyway, Donna caught my attention and I asked how she enjoyed her Friday off. She replied in kind. (We were talking behind Ms. Bible Reader's head which was leaned forward to read).
We hadn't gotten more than two pleasantries exchanged, when Ms. Bible Reader let out a loud, annoyed-sounding, HARUMPH. She also used her body language to convey how much our conversation annoyed her. I guess we were disturbing her "verse shopping".
So, Donna and I, being the nice people we are (you know.... Golden Rule followers) did not return tit for tat, but sat patiently through the remaining few minutes of the ride. As we walked to our building together we had the chance to vent.
Usually when I spend time Bible reading, I am inspired, thoughtful, calm. I can't remember a single time in my entire life when Bible reading actually made me grumpy!
4 comments:
Sounds like your "bible Reader" needs to actually heed what she reads.
Sounds like she needs no hmph a little less and practice what she reads.
Lately I have been impressed by a quote from President Dwight D. Eisenhower 1961 Farewell Address which seems particularly relevant today.
“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.”
Annette I have left a quote but I don't know where to start a knew thread. Pam
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