Humor Quote by Bill Bryson
““I don’t know why religious zealots have this compulsion to try to convert everyone who passes before them – I don’t go around trying to make them into St Louis Cardinals fans, for Christ’s sake – and yet they never fail to try. Nowadays when accosted I explain to them that anyone wearing white socks with Hush Puppies and a badge saying HI! I’M GUS! probably couldn’t talk me into getting out of a burning car, much less into making a lifelong commitment to a deity, and ask them to send someone more intelligent and with a better dress sense next time, but back then I was too meek to do anything but listen politely and utter non-committal ‘Hmmmm’s’ to their suggestions that Jesus could turn my life around. Somewhere over the Atlantic, as I was sitting taking stock of my 200 cubic centimetres of personal space, as one does on a long plane flight, I spied a coin under the seat in front of me, and with protracted difficulty leaned forward and snagged it. When I sat up, I saw my seatmate was at last looking at me with that ominous glow. ‘Have you found Jesus?’ he said suddenly. ‘Uh, no, it’s a quarter,’ I answered and quickly settled down and pretended for the next six hours to be asleep, ignoring his whispered entreaties to let Christ build a bunkhouse in my heart.””
About This Quote
Source Book: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, 1998
The narrator humorously describes being bombarded by religious proselytizers and his passive resistance, highlighting the absurdity of unsolicited conversion attempts.
In simple terms: Religious zealots try to convert everyone; narrator resists politely.
Maintain personal boundaries with humor.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- travel
- public transport
- airplane seating
- unexpected encounters
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assert boundaries without offending?
- When is polite silence enough?
Not all conversion attempts are harmless; they can be intrusive.