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Once A Jerk..., by Ian Fletcher

5/1/2018

 
“Fletch?”

“Smithy?”

The middle-aged man at the bar is Larry Smith. We haven’t met since high school.

I’d always regarded him as an empty-headed lout.

“Still got your long hair I see,” he says.

I recall how he’d taunt me with “bloody hippy” all those years ago.

“A teacher? You?” he says, boasting he’s retired after selling his successful dry-cleaning business.

A few beers on, he holds forth.

He now has opinions.

“Brexit keeps Britain British.” “Trump will preserve jobs.”

Blah, blah.

I humour him for another pint.

Making my excuses I leave, thinking “once a jerk always a jerk.”
Gordon Lawrie
5/1/2018 03:36:10 pm

This sounds like a real encounter, Ian. By coincidence, today I received an email from T34, a tee-shirt making firm. One speciality is anti-Brexit, another is anti-Trump. They seem to be the big sellers.

There were no pro-Trump or pro-Brexit shirts for sale at all. Strange, that.

Ian Fletcher
5/1/2018 03:43:00 pm

Mercifully I have remained "empty-headed" and have not (I hope) become dogmatic or fixed in my opinions as some of my contemporaries!

Gordon Lawrie
5/1/2018 03:56:23 pm

Come up to Scotland sometime, Ian! We've been fighting with Trump for over 10 years (golf courses, windfarms, etc) and 62% of us voted to stay in the EU.

Some things are worth being bigoted about...

Ian Fletcher
5/1/2018 04:55:34 pm

...that's reasonable I'd say! :)


Comments are closed.

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