Still, as I was travelling back on Sunday, I decided to have a lunchtime pint at Derby train station. I went up to the bar and waited for a moment: the barman was facing in the other direction and gazing at nothing in particular until he noticed that I was there. He apologised, but I explained to him that I'd not been waiting for long.
"You looked as though you were miles away," I said to him.
"Yes, completely in my own world," he replied.
I nodded, thinking about my own searing introspection, telling him I knew that feeling pretty well. As he poured my pint, he said it had not been the best of weekends. His mate had been killed in a car crash.
Not the best of weekends - quite an understatement.
I raised my glass to him, and inwardly I thought, that pretty much puts my own mood into perspective doesn't it?
After getting back home I went out to a party which was being held at a nearby allotment, a really nice occasion thankfully. I took these photographs while I was there.
16 comments:
Pretty. Is that a UFO in the left hand corner?
I know what you mean about that mood though. I have been in one of those since 1993.
Have another pint on me.
Perspective always shocks in some way or other as well.
The last time I was at Derby Station I met Edwina Curry.
Well, I hope you slapped her face for me. She once rudely told me that "we can do without head-bangers like you". The reason was that Ken Livingstone had provided me with a blurb for my book "Speaking of Sex" in which he most amusingly said: "Anticant is the kind of person Margaret Thatcher's parents would have warned her against as a child". How right he was!
ario - it might be a UFO, but after several cans of Red Stripe I can't say I would have noticed the difference. That mood has been with me on and off throughout this year and relates to stuff I've already blogged about. Change is needed.
merkin, succinctly put.
lav, I assume you bumped into her as opposed to it being an arranged meeting?
anticant, that does sound like a fine endorsement.
trousers !
But of course .
Meeting people at train stations is ahem, somewhat Common,don't you think....
Now, Allotments are altogether a different Class.......
far nicer affair(e)s
Love the photos.Fantastic sunset.
Not much of meaning you can say to someone who tells you stuff like that, whether at the station or on a post, so I won't
px
lav, I reckon meeting people at train stations is mainly good if you're swapping briefcases on platform 4 and saying phrases like "The helmsman's face shows white through the wheelhouse" before sloping off into the night.
Or is that just me?
pixie, true enough. So I just raised my glass to him and said "We'll here's to your mate," and left it there, which seemed the best thing to do.
ario - I should have asked - what happened in 1993?
We'll? Well, even. Scuse typos.
Oh my god trousers = it WAS you......
Oh those pictures! Thank you! Interesting post about perspective, i don't feel so bad about going into work today now...
lav, Shhhhhh!
Glad you liked the pics, dj. I still felt fairly bad going into work today though...
Does your mother understand you?
I'd say our best communication is after a glass or two of brandy.
Then again, it's far easier to think your way around a cryptic crossword after a glass or two of brandy (no that's not a reflection on my dear mother!)
hey trousers, i'm sure your mum loved having you visit even if you didn't say much. i think your gesture to the barman was gentle & perfect. two of my brother's close friends were killed in a crash when we were at uni - i heard the news on local radio on the morning of my graduation. i will never forget going to two funerals in one day.
Thanks nmj - I did explain to my mum how knackered I was, and did get more talkative towards the end of my stay. She has rheumatoid arthritis but still makes sure she looks after me when I'm over. I felt guilty about that for a while - but if there's anything she ever needs me to help out with, she always asks, bless her.
Two funerals in one day. Words fail me.
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