Sister Sledge and A Terrorist’s Pledge

After a sleepless night, a delayed overground train and a strange Tube journey (I offer my seat to lady wearing “Baby on board” badge, she glares at me like I’ve gone mad), my walk into the office was a proper grumpy one.

My phone currently has a more varied selection of songs than normal courtesy of a recent holiday (where I suspected – correctly as it turned out – I’d be playing music to a wider audience than just me). So, midway through my grumpy stroll, Sister Sledge’s “He’s the greatest dancer” popped up. I most certainly am not, but for no apparent reason (other than perhaps a suppressed love of disco) this cheered me up immediately.

Later on, during a break at work, I read about the 28 (at time of writing) people killed in Tunisia and a decapitation in France at the murderous hands of suspected religiously-motivated terrorists. I make no anti-religious statements in this blog, largely because I don’t really care what people choose to believe in, but this kind of brought my mood back down again.

I genuinely don’t understand: if there’s no joy or love – only hate – in the religion you seek solace in, then ultimately who’s purpose are you serving? Isn’t that the job of the other fella? It’s an argument that expressed in the most articulate form I can muster is: “You don’t believe the same thing as me, therefore you deserve to die.”

So while you work it out; while you fight it out; while you slaughter it out, would you mind leaving the rest of us out of it please?

I’ve been listening to BBC 6Music this afternoon – they’ve been covering the Glastonbury festival, which is where I’d normally expect to be at this time of year (missed out on tickets). I’m envious of those attending: a different world in which two hundred thousand people can gather on a farm for a few days, forget about the outside world and never once be tempted to kill each other regardless of beliefs.

6Music have been playing non Glastonbury related songs too. Just before I left, they played “We Are Family”, by Sister Sledge. I discoed my way to the DLR station.