One of the Brits said, "As you Americans say, 'The train is late.'"
Was that an Americanism? I'd never noticed. "But what do you British say?" I asked.
"The train is on time."
"What? You say 'the train is on time' to mean the train is late?"
"No, to mean it isn't late."
"But that's what we say in America, too."
"Yes, but when we say 'on time,' we mean the train is arriving at the scheduled time."
"That's what we mean, too. At the scheduled time."
"See! There's the difference."
"But that's just a difference in how we pronounce scheduled. It doesn't affect the meaning of 'on time.'"
"But the train isn't on time, is it?"
"No, it's late."
"As you Americans say."
One of the other Brits abruptly changed the subject. "Say, you lads have got to check out Changhua Station. There's a shop there, and get this, it sells Three Musketeers bars! You can buy whole sackloads of them."
This caused a great deal of excitement, with all the Brits talking about how long it had been since they'd had a proper Three Musketeers bar and gushing about how great they are. I found this confusing -- all Brits are required as a matter of national honour to hate American chocolate bars -- but I guessed maybe they thought Three Musketeers was French, like the book.
4 comments:
This notion of a train, and its lateness, for whatever reason brought me back to some words from 2020. The meaning of whatever the train is remains a mystery to me, but it was seemingly conveyed in this instance that "introducing" a "Mr. Train" would be a good thing to do, and that it was something that hadn't happened yet.
In many of the words, it was hard to tell who was speaking and who they were speaking to. In this instance, though, I interpreted the voice as speaking to me (though can't say for sure if that is correct), which seemed to be supported by my tendency to overthink a thing or two:
"Ishimolo
hundreds hopefully gimgalu
beware those priests entertainers robbers
If you want to say something, say it: Its not bad
Because you are think think think
A better idea is to introduce Mr. Train"
As Mr. Train was mentioned, a dream image was presented of a piano keyboard, and someone sitting at the keys. A fabric was pulled across the keys to cover them, and on the fabric was a template which I understood gave a pattern for which keys should be played.
Anyway, again I don't know what it means, other than introducing a train seemed to be better than just thinking, apparently.
To "introduce" meant originally to "convey or bring (something) in or into".
Using this sense, the people in your dream were waiting for a train to be introduced, as in being brought into the station.
That Mr. Train dream was from May 31, 2020. The next day, June 1, was a short phrase:
"Ezekiel 16
Sing-fully"
Ezekiel 16 starts out:
"Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations".
Jerusalem and her abominations is language that very closely echoes Lehi's declaration after reading the book that the One he saw in vision condescended to give him in his vision:
"And it came to pass that he saw One descending out of the midst of heaven, and he beheld that his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day.
And he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament.
And they came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read.
And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.
And he read, saying: Wo, wo, unto Jerusalem, for I have seen thine abominations!"
I just now noticed that Daymon's writing also invoked similar imagery of the One in talking about Pharazon and his golden attire:
"In gold finery he covered his nakedness, gilded in sunlight, so none could withstand him at mid-day..."
A potential meaningful link since the One in Lehi's vision may be the same Being that Pharazon was attempting to appear as.
In any case, Ezekiel 16 goes on to describe Jerusalem as a harlot and an unfaithful woman who broke an oath or covenant. But, in the end, a new 'everlasting covenant' will be established, which would seem to allude to grace and restoration.
A musician called Mr. Train made me think of John Coltrane. He was primarily a saxophonist, of course, but one can readily find photos of him playing the piano. Apparently Coltrane means "keeper of colts," which makes me think of the parade of "coltish" animals in the Coypu's new zodiac.
With a British accent, "Mr. Train" sounds like "missed a train."
The dispute over whether the train is correctly described as "late" or "on time" reminds me of Jay Davis, who thought the train was late but then found out that the schedule had been changed and that he was the one who was late.
https://narrowdesert.blogspot.com/2024/08/repeat-stop-you-must-not-hop-on-pop.html
Perhaps Mr. Train is a Wizard. We have it on good authority that those are never late, nor are they early. They arrive precisely when they mean to.
The "Missed a Train" is pretty good and creative.
I also thought of the connection to Gandalf for the same reasons you did. In my 2021 words in relation to the handing off of the Rose Stone to the Couriers, the phrase "going to have the experience of Joseph Smith" was mentioned. Part of Joseph's experience, or perhaps the one specifically referred to here, was the "introduction" of the angel who took him to the Gold Plates. Tradition has had it that this was Moroni, but my own guess is that it was the translated Disciple Nephi, who in turn was Gandalf.
Connecting the scene in some general way to Tolkien also seems supported by the British accents, and the general "you Americans" vibe. Tolkien really didn't like American culture as a whole or its influence, from what I understand.
Post a Comment