Human nature absolutely fascinates me!! As I have said in various ways before, we’re still ‘animals’ confused by the demands of a modern world requiring cognition. Some will get my drift by observing the following conversation – and others will argue blindly that it was a reasonable mistake to make.

The scene is me shopping in a Tesco supermarket at around 21:20 PM. Yes – I like to go to the supermarket late. I’m an unrepentant cheapskate. It’s around that time of night that I get all the best deals on reduced food, that nobody wants. I’m nobody quite clearly.

So I’m at this shelf where there are all the reduced produce. Mince turkey breast that would normally go for £5.00 was going at £0.50. Eight mini samosas for £0.09p down from £1.80.

Right so the packaging on the samosas did not give me a clear view. There is a man to my right. He looks like a native of this country, or his ancestors could have been from Rome. After all the Romans once ruled this country. Nonetheless, I show him the package and enquire, “Do these look like mini-samosas to you?”.

Man: Yes they sure are.

Me: Thanks, I thought they were. I just wanted to check with another person.

Man: Yes. They are quite good (the samosas).

Man: Looks to some other stuff on the shelves. Hesitates for a second, then comes back to me and says, “I hope you don’t mind I ask. Which part of India are you from?”

Me: I’m not from India.

Man: Oh.. I’m sorry if I was rude..you looked like you were from India.

Me: What about me looks like I’m from India?

Man: The colour of your skin. I thought you were going to say you were from Kerala or something.

Me: Oh.

Then he goes his own way.

Well I can argue too – that if you look Indian and you express and interest in samosas, you have a high probability of being ‘from India’. Strangely though, if you look Roman and you’re interested in English food (cod, pork pies and chips), then you do not have a high probability of being from Rome! Don’t ask!! Don’t – just accept it.

Well I assert that the ‘animal’ that we were, didn’t have to distinguish much one thing from the next. The ‘animal’ new that if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck, it is a duck – kill the darn thing and eat it!! However, it’s a new world where the ‘animal’ has to cope with things that are not what they appear to be. And what happens in this new world? Bugger all! The survival of our race is a result of a few people in positions of leadership, doing all the thinking for the rest of the ‘animals’. And that is why we are here today. I thank my fried Peter for this later pearl of wisdom.