SHAME

I was standing on a crowded bus to work today beside a seated old woman. The woman was wearing a gold medallion, engraved with the visage… of Stalin. I had to do a double take, but yes, she was wearing a Stalin necklace. At first I laughed a little, but then I realised how horrifying it was. Finally I decided I couldn't let this pass by without a comment and told her (in Hebrew), "Why is Stalin on your necklace? Don't you know what he did to our people?!"

She said to me, "Stalin? That's a portrait of my late husband. Stalin? What... you think he looks like Stalin?"

FUCK. "I am so sorry, oh yes I see, no, he doesn't look at all like him," I stammered, "I guess it was just the moustache and hat." HE REALLY LOOKED A LOT LIKE STALIN.

A crowd of older women crowded around to get a look at her necklace and assess the similarity. "He doesn't look like Stalin at all!" they reassured her.

They also pet me soothingly a little to try to stop me from killing myself on the spot.