Another random conversation

Back in 2007, I recorded a random conversation I had on my doorstep with some Mormons. This is a random conversation I had this morning in the street with an oddly smiley man in his 40s who approached me with leaflets early on my way to work.

[Man]: Good morning, would you like to take one of our leaflets?

[Me, glancing briefly at the oddly familiar leaflet - a landscape scene attempting to evoke nature's full richness, with children playing on green grass in front of a moose - yes, a moose - a pastoral idyll very far removed from the busy bustling urban modern city centre in which we were currently located]: Er... are you a Jehovah's Witness?

[Man]: Yes, that's right - have you heard about us?

[Me, wondering whether there is anyone who has not heard of Jehovah's Witnesses]: Yes.

[Man]: Would you like one of our leaflets then?

[Me, after a pause]: Well, I'm a Marxist, so I think I am unlikely to be converted by you, just as I'm unlikely to convert you...

[Man, moving off]: Well, at least we can have a laugh about it...

I think overall this counts as a score draw - I didn't take his leaflet but by admitting I was unlikely to 'convert' him, I guess I suggested I was somehow not altogether confident ideologically. In fact I am sure I could have taken him on in argument well enough, but it was early morning, I hadn't had a coffee, and frankly was unprepared to have a long argument - where as he was armed with leaflets and ready to go. The fact he thought this conversation counted as 'a laugh' was however rather sad in some ways. I would say he needs to 'get out more', but then, getting out and about is the one thing Jehovah's Witnesses are not exactly shy about doing...