Gumped

I got Gumped.

I've noticed that Forrest Gump is on the movie channels a lot this week. You may recall, the story is told by Forrest while he sits on a bench waiting for a bus and talks to people sitting on the bench next to him. While the movie moves on, the people come and go, taking buses, but Forrest keeps on telling his story. Some of the people take interest in what he has to say, while others lend a half-hearted ear. Regardless of how the people react, Forrest tells his story.

Well, today I got Gumped. A perfect stranger interrupted my writing and told me all about his religious faith. Of course, I contributed to his behavior by responding to his initial comment with what I guess must have been an inviting reaction. Maybe I'm too friendly. All I know is that one minute I was having a brief and pleasant surface chat about writing and the next minute I was in the midst of a sermon about a faith I'd never heard of before that instant. And he kept talking. I didn't know what to do to make a polite escape. I wasn't waiting for a bus. I just wanted to stay put, sip my hot chai, and finish writing.

So I post this to remind you of and to elaborate on the warning we all heard as children: Don't talk to strangers or you might get Gumped!