I have recently returned from Istanbul and was invited to attend
a service at Winchester Cathedral where I was seated
next to
an eminent gentleman of letters ... having waited for the
music and singing to stop I would attempt a conversational
turn of phrase only to be completed drowned out by the
hymn Oh God Our Help In Ages Past. So I gave up
completely and decided to continue the silence.
People began to wonder why I didnt give out instructions on
how to get from a to b but I had retired just a year ago and
then the wheel turned full circle and I am now welcomed
back to teaching ... I wondered if they were going to give
me to the back of the class job or something none of them
wanted to do ... the really grotty stuff like writing poetry and
short stories .. and they would keep all the best to themselves.
Well in short, I picked up a
leaflet from the
local Catholic
Church and got into the swing of things and found that
all the masses and services were detailed accurately
so I could forget correction of spelling ... that''s Europe
only. Finally I found a place for myself in the
theme groupings that come up from time to time
loosely described as dealing with other faiths ... so
you see what I mean ... I can take it ... dont worry
and happy reading ... in a religious leaflet produced
by the local Catholic Church here in Southampton; UK:
excellent stuff!