Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Oracle Of Manchester

I'm sure they took no notice of me. It's not as if I was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation; it's just that as they were less than three feet from me and they weren't being exactly quiet.

That they had been to a football match at the Wembley stadium was obvious, the boy and his father were both wearing Manchester United jerseys. That they were from Manchester was derived from the jerseys and from the mention of going home to Manchester. That the kid was older than he looked was obvious from the amount of beer he drank at dinner. But the fact that I was in the presence of the oracle was something that came up later in their discourse.

They had just ordered coffee and dessert when the father turned to his son. "No need to hurry, son." said the man savoring the port that had been delivered. "We're not going anywhere tonight. You have to laugh at those people who are rushing to make it back to Manchester tonight. We're not in the traffic; we're sitting at table, enjoying this lovely meal, not a care in the world. This is what life is all about."

The son responded, with wisdom beyond his years "What, laughing at other people?"

Wherever you are today, I hope that you're enjoying the finer things in life!

Don Bergquist - 11 August 2010 - Wembley, Middlesex, UK

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