Fight on the train today!

I've been rather glum about my daily commutes from Queens to Manhattan lately. I think it's because I've been reading all nonfiction. I have about 30 minutes each way every day to read.

I grabbed my copy of Master And Commander by Patrick O'Brian, which I first read around late 2004, I think. I'm ready to reread the twenty book series. It's the best fiction I've read besides Lord Of The Rings (and I was never a Tolkien freak, having only read that after the first movie came out).

I couldn't wait to get on the train this morning to continue reading. O'Brian is hilarious in such an understated way.

And what happens as I secure a good spot to stand on the last car? A "preacher." Teh suck.

Sometimes, on the morning trains, your car has a person who fancies themselves a preacher of the Gospels. It's hard to concentrate on your reading when someone is walking around shouting. If I were still on the nonfiction stuff, it wouldn't be so bad; I read that to accumulate knowledge or wisdom or whatever. But damnit, I'm trying to escape.

Usually these people stick to the general principles: "you're feeling miserable, your problems are all because you haven't come to Jesus, He can save you and bring you to peace" and all that schtick. I can endure that.

Not this guy. He looked Nigerian, with the very dark skin and full lips but spoke perfect American English so I think he was born here. He was going on about gays and lesbians.

"GOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE, NOT ADAM AND STEVE!" Yes, he actually used that line. I'd expect to read that on a right wing blog, but from a "preacher" on the train? He had this whole line going about how Jesus punishes us because he loves us, and lesbians need to give up lesbianism and come to Christ, ditto for the gays, and on and on. He walked up and down the rear half of the car shouting.

We were between my train station and the next, which is about a ten minute ride during rush hour; around half way through this very tall middle aged guy with iPod ear buds stuck in turned and overshouted him:

"QUIT PREACHING HATE! WHERE IS JESUS IN YOUR LIFE!? YOUR HEART IS FULL OF HATE!"

Over and over. This actually quieted down Nigerian-looking-guy quite a bit; earbud guy eventually over-shouted him once more, we pulled into Queens Plaza and I moved to the next train car. Enough of that!

But I'm really excited to be rereading O'Brian. Knowing what I know now about how the characters develop, I'm noticing a lot more than I did the first time; plus I now know what a fo'c'sle is.