This morning I went to the market for a chat about scarves with Charlie, who turned out to be away on holiday, so I returned home.
On the way home an unkempt young man, who was walking and texting and not giving any heed to others, bumped into me. Instead of apologising, he accosted me with some very unoriginal swear words.
I don't mind swear words if they are appropriate to the occasion, or unusual. My father had some very interesting expletives, like 'Does grass grow in my pockets?' - I never dared to check, and 'Heaven arse and twine'?!?!? But this young man's language was very common indeed.
So I told him to button his lip, adding, 'Would you talk to your Mother like that?'
'My mother was a whore,' he replied.
How does one respond to such an assertion?
'I'm glad I am not your Mother', said I.
'I am not,' he said. 'I needed a Mother like you, someone strict with high standards, not someone who let me run wild and turned me into a loser.'
Then I smiled, and he blushed, and we went our separate ways.
I still feel kind of strange ......
