What The Curate Said
Dec. 17th, 2020 11:16 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poliphiloI put tea leaves and coffee grounds on the flower beds. They supply nutrients. Our soil here- except in places where earlier generations have fed it with bags and bags of Irish bog- is very poor- a slathering of sticky clay over a bedrock of builders' rubble and broken-up tractors.
Mary- our most accessible neighbour- walked round with a Christmas card. She and I met on the drive and observed social distancing without either of us making an issue of it. One steps forward, the other steps back: it's like country dance. She asked me what we'd be doing for my mother's 100th birthday- and I said we'd leave it till nearer the time- and keep it small- because it's not as if she'll notice there's a party going on. Sooner or later (this is me thinking not the two of us talking) the issue is going to arise as to whether we solicit a birthday card from the Queen. I won't do it because I don't believe in encouraging the Windsors, but I expect somebody else will.
"Don't you find it frightening" asks Mary (we're back on Covid again) and I give my standard response. "No, because the worst that can happen is we'll die." I don't add that death is a happy homecoming because not everybody believes this to be the case- and I'm not into missionary work.
Which puts me in mind of my favourite joke.
Lady parishioner to curate: "What do you think happens when we die, Mr Jones?"
Curate to lady parishioner: "I suppose we will inherit eternal life- but lets not talk about anything so unpleasant."
Curates in popular culture are always timid and socially awkward. I wonder why?
Mary- our most accessible neighbour- walked round with a Christmas card. She and I met on the drive and observed social distancing without either of us making an issue of it. One steps forward, the other steps back: it's like country dance. She asked me what we'd be doing for my mother's 100th birthday- and I said we'd leave it till nearer the time- and keep it small- because it's not as if she'll notice there's a party going on. Sooner or later (this is me thinking not the two of us talking) the issue is going to arise as to whether we solicit a birthday card from the Queen. I won't do it because I don't believe in encouraging the Windsors, but I expect somebody else will.
"Don't you find it frightening" asks Mary (we're back on Covid again) and I give my standard response. "No, because the worst that can happen is we'll die." I don't add that death is a happy homecoming because not everybody believes this to be the case- and I'm not into missionary work.
Which puts me in mind of my favourite joke.
Lady parishioner to curate: "What do you think happens when we die, Mr Jones?"
Curate to lady parishioner: "I suppose we will inherit eternal life- but lets not talk about anything so unpleasant."
Curates in popular culture are always timid and socially awkward. I wonder why?
