Acts of unkindness are like brands upon the soul, which a thousand subsequent acts of kindness cannot remove. I remembered such an act when I went to the Lamb & Flag pub with friends during the first week of Hilary term. During Michaelmas term, I had a beer there with a friend who was married and whose wife was not in Oxford. I felt like he was pressuring me to enter a relationship that went beyond friendship. He bought a second round, then went to the bathroom. I decided to flee the situation, so I asked an older man at the next table (who seemed to be eavesdropping) if he could tell my friend that I had left. He responded in a mincing voice that irritated me, “What about your beer?” “You drink it!” I snapped back, then tossed my head and walked out. So that is what really happened. When you are writing (or recounting a story), however, it is perilously easy to slip off the rails. For example—
As always, a great read! The one sentence that remained with me is: "My own experience at Oxford revealed that everyone was both an insider and an outsider." I presume there is much to be said about that.....
As always, a great read! The one sentence that remained with me is: "My own experience at Oxford revealed that everyone was both an insider and an outsider." I presume there is much to be said about that.....