Odd things happen at church sometimes

Several odd things happened today at church. I’ll tell them in chronological order – just this once!

I went to the bathroom. This happens on occasion. After I’d done my business and I was busy washing my hands, a woman I’d never met started talking to me. She didn’t start in with "Hi, I’m so and so and who are you?" No. She started by asking me for a job. She wants to work as a maid, and would I hire her? No. My husband is a local and we don’t have the money to afford a maid. Do I know anyone who needs a maid? No, I don’t. I’ll keep my ears open, though. She then told me the sob story of how she has no parents, no husband, no children – no one to care for her – and she’s unemployed and needs a job very badly.

Okay, so I do have sympathy for someone in that position, but just because I’m white doesn’t mean I’m loaded, inclined to spend money regardless of financial circumstances, or in need of the services she’s offering. If I’d met her before, or if she’d introduced herself first, I’d feel a little better about it. As it is, it’s left me rather uncomfortable.

Second odd things. After sacrament meeting, a guy – also one who I’d never met before (but had seen around) – walked up to me, showed me the piece of paper he had in his hand, and asked me what it meant. The piece of paper had one word on it – flux – and a picture of a magnet along with lines of magnetic force. So he wants magnetic flux explained.

Well, first, I’m in the middle of talking to someone. Second. He could introduce himself – that would be the polite thing to do. Third. He could ask me if I had a few minutes. No. He expected me to explain it quickly and succintly right there. C’mon, I have to clean the cobwebs out of my brain first, ya know? My mind is on a whole other stream of thinking, and you want me to just immediately shift gears with no warning and start talking about magnetic flux? And you want the answer in the next fifteen seconds?

Third sorta odd thing. There’s a man at church – pleasant man – don’t know how old he is, but I’d be guessing probably in his fifties. We started talking about . . . whatever . . . and then he asks me if I’m from Salt Lake City. No, not me. I’m a Canadian. So we talk about Canada, and I mention to him how diverse it is culturally speaking. He didn’t know this – had never been to Canada. He’s travelled widely because of his businesses, though. Anyway, then he says that perhaps he should write to the leaders of the church in Canada about helping him find a wife.

Whoa, Nelly! We don’t do things that way there.Well, he wouldn’t know. Over here, arranged marriages are very common – they’re the norm, really. Love matches, as the other option is known, are desired, but it’s out of a coveting thing – wanting what you can not have.

And in case it’s not obvious to you, this is the part that surprised me. The fact that he’s willing to write to church leaders in Canada for help finding a wife.

That is a completely and totally foreign concept to me.

When I told Fahim about it, he wasn’t the least bit surprised at what this man said. He was surprised at my reaction to it. Huh.

Anyway, I told this man there were online LDS dating services – he was shocked. Shocked, but delighted. I told him a little bit about them. Heck, I’ve checked them out, had no luck, and gave up. But then, I’m an odd duck anyway, so where’s the surprise? I think he’s gonna check it out. Ya never know what (or, in this case, who) ya can find.

Author: LMAshton
Howdy! I'm a beginner artist, hobbyist photographer, kitchen witch, wanderer by nature, and hermit introvert. This is my blog feed. You can find my fediverse posts at https://a.farook.org/Laurie.

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