Oddities

It's been a rather strange day, all in all. Not in terms of how it began, or how I planned to spend it - I woke up at least an hour earlier than I ideally would have liked, was unable to get back to sleep again, and then got ready, a little earlier than anticipated, to head up to London - but in terms of what I encountered while I was out and about.
A couple of religionists were among the most odd of the oddities. The first was, perhaps, not quite fully compos mentis, as he began loudly reciting biblical extracts on the top deck of a bus, from the seat immediately behind me, as it happened, before being engaged in conversation by another man who identified himself as a 'born-again Christian'. Given that they were so close to me, and that the volume of the exchange was hardly less than the initial declamation, I couldn't help but hear them agreeing on the literal truth of every word of the bible, and that the 'end times' were upon us. I was sorely tempted to turn and ask them when they had last eaten shellfish, or worn clothing made of mixed fibres, and why, in the reasonable expectation that it would have been recently, they hadn't been stoned to death, but I managed to restrain the impulse, largely out of self-interest, I have to say - I wasn't really in the mood for the sort of discussion that probably would have ensued. Then, little more than an hour later, and apropos of nothing at all, I was approached near Marble Arch by another man, who said 'Hello, Jesus loves you', before quickly walking away without giving me the chance to respond. Just as well again, really, because I doubt that what came to mind would have pleased him, namely that whatever Jesus may or may not have thought, even taking into consideration the dubious premise that he existed at all, evidence suggests that many of his followers would, in the face of my being both gay and a fairly outspoken atheist, advocate that I should be killed, not exactly indicative of any sort of love.
Then this evening, as I visited one of my regular licensed haunts on the way back to 'domicile-ville', I found myself in another unaccustomed position, being drawn towards, at least in the sense of looking at, and even making eye contact with, a male who was well beyond the age of consent. He did have a certain boyish look about him, but he wasn't even one of the 'barely legal' individuals I occasionally come across, he must have been at least five years the 'legal' side of the line. Not, of course, that anything came of it - I'm still old, fat and unattractive, at the end of the day - but it was the sort of thing that makes me wonder what might happen if a confluence of circumstances resulted in my having to make an actual decision along those lines. It has never, consciously, been what I want, but who knows what is bubbling under the surface, especially in the wake of recent upheavals. Strange times.

Love & best wishes to all
Sammy B