... AND THEN

I used to play a lot of heavy metal, but then I found God. And when I found God, I remember he looked at me and said, "That's nice, but I was not really lost in the first place...“

It was like meeting a university lecturer, with whom you never really clicked, in an unexpected social situation.  You probably don't actively dislike each other, but there is not a lot to talk about. We were sitting opposite each other on a stopping all stations Lilydale train, next to a noisy carriage join. 

So I said "Oh, of course!  You can't get lost! I mean... you made all this... right?"  I spread my hands in what I hoped was a universally encompassing way that didn’t imply he merely created the ratty train carriage. 

remember wishing there was a third person present to join the conversation, so I would not feel pressured to keep talking, so anxious to fill the silence. 

God smiled.  Or maybe he had a stab of sciatic pain. It was hard to tell, really. Either way, I can not say it was benevolent.  Sadly, I was not filled with radiant warmth or a feeling of peace and purpose.

If we're being honest, he seemed a bit irritated.  After a polite nod God put on his headphones, and I pretended to look out the window at something very far away. I waited for what felt like the right amount of time, pulled out my iPad and started writing some electronic music.   And here we are.  Finding new ways to fill the silence.