It always surprises me just how much interest a baby can generate on the underground, simply through existing. Oh, and with the odd hearty chuckle.
A baby, so small and unassuming, so free of prejudices and, yes, so adorable (yes, you arrrrre, yes you arrrrrre...).
And I was amazed at the number of people who looked directly at the baby (who was incidentally sitting beside me) and smiled, or began to click their fingers in the air, or to simply stare and look amused at the child.
Perhaps it's because they know that the baby won't judge them. That the baby doesn't really know anything about them, that the baby is free of all illusions, all the clutter of life.
And to think, deep inside, each one of these people knows exactly that the baby will, one day, have to go through all of the same shit we all do. All of the saddnesses, the loss of our virginity (in all respects), the arguments with our lover when we discover he's been shagging that girl at Tescos for four months, whilst telling us he was going to visit his sick mother.
And despite this, we smile. Because in the child we find hope. And, above all else, we find forgiveness.
In which case, perhaps children aren't such a bad thing after all. At least, not the ones under the age of 3.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
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