Salamagundi (2)
When I was about 10 years old I had a school-chum whose name was John Nairn. He lived on Stapleton Road, Eastville, Bristol, within sight and sound of “Eastville Stadium”, where the East Bristol Soccer Team, “Bristol Rovers” played.
But he had the cohones to be a supporter of the South Bristol Team, “Bristol City”.
If he could do it, so could I, and from that day I have not cared a rat’s -ss about the Rovers, and I have been a City Fan.
Now, Bristol City Football Club, with five games to play, are on the cusp of promotion to the English Premier League, where the “big boys” play.
For American readers, if this happens, it would be comparable to Davidson College winning the NCAA basketball championship (which sadly they cannot now do).
I am keeping my fingers crossed for BCFC. Our theme song is
“When the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbing along”.
Sing it with and for me will you!
Last Friday Ben and I were at the Florida Studio Theatre for a production of “Jewtopia”.
It’s a hilarious show, based on the premise that an Irish American is seeking a Jewish wife “so that he’ll never again have to make a decision”.
The (I would guess) mostly Jewish audience was in fits of laughter. Oh how I wish that po-faced Christians could make fun of our own foibles and traditions.
Ben and I had dinner afterwards at “Italian Delight”. It’s not the greatest Italian food, but it’s more than adequate. And I had sufficient leftovers in a “doggy box” for Sunday night’s dinner.
After Church on Sunday, Ron and Charlotte Thompson took me up to Cortez, FL for lunch http://www.fl-seafood.com/cortez.htm We sat on the dock and ate blackened Grouper at the Star Fish Co restaurant. Great food, and a taste of “old Florida”.
After an early afternoon nap, I took myself to downtown SRQ, and wandered around between the ‘bus station and the Library. As I had expected, I encountered many of my homeless friends from Res House. What a joy it was to chat with then on the fly.
At Res House today I chatted with Roberto. He looks dreadful, as he battles cancer. Please imagine a man of Spanish origin, with skin that is grey. Roberto is heading back to Chicago on Thursday, to get better, or to die with his mother and siblings.
I prayed with Roberto as if prayer had gone out of style. I want him to get better, but if that is not to be, I want him to be with his family when he dies.
Mid-afternoon today Ben and I wandered down to “Sweet Bay Supermarket” to pick up this and that ( I got some excellent catfish for dinner). I was ahead of Ben, so I chatted at length with my cashier, Alejandro, from Cuba. We are both excited that Raoul Castro is introducing gentle reforms. Alejandro is brighter than bright, and on folks like him the American future depends.
I remembered that I have a “Museo Cuba” baseball cap which a Cambridge parishioner gave me after her 2005 visit to Cuba. So I took it to him as a gift. You’d have thought that I’d given him a million dollars!
And so it goes.
But he had the cohones to be a supporter of the South Bristol Team, “Bristol City”.
If he could do it, so could I, and from that day I have not cared a rat’s -ss about the Rovers, and I have been a City Fan.
Now, Bristol City Football Club, with five games to play, are on the cusp of promotion to the English Premier League, where the “big boys” play.
For American readers, if this happens, it would be comparable to Davidson College winning the NCAA basketball championship (which sadly they cannot now do).
I am keeping my fingers crossed for BCFC. Our theme song is
“When the red, red robin goes bob, bob, bobbing along”.
Sing it with and for me will you!
Last Friday Ben and I were at the Florida Studio Theatre for a production of “Jewtopia”.
It’s a hilarious show, based on the premise that an Irish American is seeking a Jewish wife “so that he’ll never again have to make a decision”.
The (I would guess) mostly Jewish audience was in fits of laughter. Oh how I wish that po-faced Christians could make fun of our own foibles and traditions.
Ben and I had dinner afterwards at “Italian Delight”. It’s not the greatest Italian food, but it’s more than adequate. And I had sufficient leftovers in a “doggy box” for Sunday night’s dinner.
After Church on Sunday, Ron and Charlotte Thompson took me up to Cortez, FL for lunch http://www.fl-seafood.com/cortez.htm We sat on the dock and ate blackened Grouper at the Star Fish Co restaurant. Great food, and a taste of “old Florida”.
After an early afternoon nap, I took myself to downtown SRQ, and wandered around between the ‘bus station and the Library. As I had expected, I encountered many of my homeless friends from Res House. What a joy it was to chat with then on the fly.
At Res House today I chatted with Roberto. He looks dreadful, as he battles cancer. Please imagine a man of Spanish origin, with skin that is grey. Roberto is heading back to Chicago on Thursday, to get better, or to die with his mother and siblings.
I prayed with Roberto as if prayer had gone out of style. I want him to get better, but if that is not to be, I want him to be with his family when he dies.
Mid-afternoon today Ben and I wandered down to “Sweet Bay Supermarket” to pick up this and that ( I got some excellent catfish for dinner). I was ahead of Ben, so I chatted at length with my cashier, Alejandro, from Cuba. We are both excited that Raoul Castro is introducing gentle reforms. Alejandro is brighter than bright, and on folks like him the American future depends.
I remembered that I have a “Museo Cuba” baseball cap which a Cambridge parishioner gave me after her 2005 visit to Cuba. So I took it to him as a gift. You’d have thought that I’d given him a million dollars!
And so it goes.
Consider When the red, red robin...sung for you, and be glad it was not with you in hearing range I am soooo out of practice.
ReplyDeleteCheers!