We are on the camping and its slowly filling up. All the locals are taking this once in a life time opportunity to make some dosh... water for sale ..food..soda... pork borritos..rides on tractors all can be had for a dollar up. Also there's loads of religious stuff going on tons of preachy types coming round offering lifts to church, handing out leaflets and that's how we got to meet Pastor Les and his wife Denise. A very pleasant couple, they joined us at our heavily guarded picnic table (its mine and not left empty at any moment or someone will have it... they are practically currency here) giving us a leaflet about the eclipse.. at first glance it looked innocuous, just another publication with a nice shiny eclipse picture on and then I spotted the cross symbol on the back.
By this time we were well into conversation - yes all the way from England via Vancouver road trip... love USA.. oh an eclipse! Blah blah... they were a nice couple we decided to sit it out and not mention that we are 7/7 atheists on the Richard Dawkins scale but be polite.
Then he gestured at the tent "cant believe you guys camped all that way in a tent do you have a gun?" he was surprised we hadn't and proclaimed "I wouldn't feel safe if I wasn't carrying I wouldn't be able to protect my family" we said we felt safe had no trouble only met lovely people and didn't feel need for weapons. I asked him if he was wearing a gun now and he very proudly showed me. Denise was quick to admit she carried one too but hadn't got hers with her. these are god fearing people - shouldn't need guns!!!Then he said was there anything we needed. I didn't mention a decent shower... ''would we like to experience some american life...'' I thought oh dear, was going so well but here it comes the bible sell -but no he just explained very quick he was the pastor they had a tent and were watching the eclipse and we welcome to join them. But also how was happy to help visitors to his country in anyway and we just had to call him... and then he had an idea... ''how would we like to go prairie dog shooting! - they are nasty pesky creatures he said the farmers are pleased to see them shot... if I was a visitor I'd love to do something so american what do you say?''
Our faces must have said it all .....I've never even touched a gun let alone fired one I said in horror... ''no maam we don't use this kind of gun we use rifles'' - of course I found this immediately reassured ha ha ... we declined the offer I thought about begging a shower and insect repellent off him but I think he sensed the vibe and with one last invitation to the tent eclipse viewing they left...
Then we read the leaflet and realised we had been conditioned to not believe in creation... we have learnt to be too scientific (even me) I think the gist was we could be saved but I think we.ll give that a miss too but to be honest paster Les and Denise were really pleasant charming people and should anyone save us it could have been them c'est la vie.
HOWEVER.... we were obviously not such a lost cause as in the evening after the eclipse he showed up at the picnic table full of bonhomie and the offer of a lift to the tent for the evening meeting... eyeing up the 1.75 litre bottle of grey goose we we nursing - he didn't take it badly we we refused his offer and waved us goodbye
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