Singing Potatoes
Previous — Main Page — Up to Archive — Next
Saturday, 10 April 2004
L'esprit d'escalier

After years of waiting and hoping, we finally got the knock on the door this morning from sectarian missionaries. Though I'm quite happy with my own belief system, I'm fascinated with others' — especially the various Christian sects, because it always astonishes me how different beliefs can be even though they're based on the same book.

Unfortunately, the house is full of boxes and bags, and piles of things to be sold on eBay or donated to a shelter, so I couldn't invite them in. And I was in my bathrobe, so I couldn't stand outside. And I couldn't stand in the door, because one of the cats would have undoubtedly decided to make a break for it.

So I had to wait for a cæsura in the missionary's stream of words to excuse myself. I caught the opportunity after he said that he and his friend wanted to talk to me about the Beast of Revelations [sic]. "No thank you," I said as I closed the door, and too late it struck me that I should have followed up with "I've already got one."

Posted by godfrey (link)
Previous — Main Page — Up to Archive — Next
Comments
Man: Burglar! (a longish pause while he waits, he rings again) Burglar! (a woman appears at the other side of the door)
Woman: Yes?
Man: Burglar, madam.
Woman: What do you want?
Man: I want to come in and steal a few things, madam.
Woman: Are you an encyclopedia salesman?
Man: No madam, I'm a burglar. I burgle people.
Woman: I think you're an encyclopedia salesman.
Man: Oh I'm not, open the door, let me in please.
Woman: If I let you in, you'll sell me encyclopedias.
Man: I won't, madam. I just want to come in and ransack the flat. Honestly.
Woman: Promise. No encyclopedias?
Man: None at all.
Woman: All right. (she opens the door) You'd better come in then. (Man enters through the door)
Man: Mind you I don't know whether you've really considered the advantages of owning a really fine set of modern encyclopedias ...
Posted by Darren on 10 Apr 2004 12:56