OOPS I'VE BEEN RUDE

As a kid, going to Confession I had to plan out what I had to say to get my money's worth and to not waste the Priest's time. This invariably involved admitting to a few Sunday Mass misses, some swearing and once to spice things up, adultery. He did ask for clarification on this and I told him I had been 'rude' in the bushes with Heather, the neighbourhood 'good-time girl'. I was about 10 and Heather 11 so she was much more experienced and must have lead me astray.

Being rude nowadays has a different meaning and is de-rigeur and while I don't have to confess it it still makes me feel a bit guilty. On Sunday morning a door knocker turned out to be a National Party canvasser raising awareness for Melissa Lee and John Key for the Mt Albert by-election. When he told me this I said 'good luck'. He seemed pleased until I followed it up with 'you'll need it'. I told him that Lee was hopeless, that the Nats showed bad form by putting her up ahead of their last candidate and that I don't vote National. After he had gone I had a twinge of guilt at my rudeness but when recounting the story to The Old Girl I also regretted not telling the guy that I didn' t want Key to represent me as my Prime Minister anyway so didn't appreciate the canvassers saying that they were representing Melissa Lee and John Key.