the more you know the less you feel.......

'so', says mr pip, 'as ghandi said, when asked what made him the saddest of all, the very saddest, he replied "the hard-heartedness of the educated"............

Its gone midnight, we are stuffing our faces with late-night glagow curry surrounded by other U2-fan-curry stuffers in an Indian resteraunt that appeared like a vision within moments of our exit from Hampden Park, and mr pip uttering the words 'I could murder a curry'..........

You ask and you shall receive.

Despite Hampden being TOTALLY alcohol free, i am stunned and spechless and feel better and more wrecked than after consuming a magnum of champagne....(yes i did try it once....)

a couple of bottles of lager and an onion bhaji starter shared with mr pip, and the conversation re-starts, but we both are fully conscious of the conversation at the table behind us...... 3 guys and a gal travelled up from Bournemouth, and the girl/woman taking the lead, and being the loudest and most opinionated of the group.........

mr pip asks her 'did you enjoy the show, wasnt it great?''''' with great enthusiasm


'huh!' is the reply, very negative, 'well, what i saw of it!'

'why, was you flat on your back drunk?' says pip, (me chuckles.........)

then she starts a ramble about how this was wrong, that wasnt right, too many people, blah blah blah etc.......

we smile and let her resume her conversation with her buddies....... but we cannot help listening in.....

as the meal goes on, i can see mr pip is saddened, really hurt, thats when he tells me his ghandi thing.....he listens while the girl slags off bono and the make poverty history thing, and much more besides.....most tellingly, i also hear her say 'if bono wanted to really help, then with all the money he has got, why doesnt he give it all away etc etc etc..... he could you know....he COULD!!!'.............


Yet, there is hope, we wonder after how many rock shows, the fans meet for curry and say how fantastic the light show was, wasnt the sound the best, the LOUDEST etc etc etc, and how beautifully imperfect the conversations are tonight, after this rock show, the discussion topic RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA is poverty, (in)justice, making an effort, joining in, softening your hard heart, and we sang all the way home :

"Yahweh, Yahweh, always pain before the child is born
Yahweh, Yahweh, always darkest before dawn"

Ohohwohohwohohwohohoh oh oh.........

Take this city
A city should be shining on a hill
Take this cityIf it be your will

What no man can own, no man can take
Take this heart
Take this heart
Take this heart

And make it break