I NEED TO HEAR THE SPARROWS FART

Last week-end I made a trip down to the midlands. Left at 5 in the morning, drove down the A9, with wonderful views of the wilderness which is the Cairngorms.

On to M54 and launched into a frenzied world of commuters, lorries, bad weather, bad drivers (do they not learn what their indicators are for these days?) and endless roadworks.

Whilst being inextricably drawn into the frenzy, a red car passed me. In the rear window the symbol of the fish. They are everywhere these days......born again christians. Everyone has the right to their own belief system, but this lot follow it blindly (well, the ones I've met did) and never seem to question - folks this is 2005, we are not living in caves and discovering the world or gazing at the night sky and wondering, so where is the logic????

Underneath the fish symbol, a sticker. "Thank God for Jesus". What!

Jesus, I am told, was the Saviour of Mankind. Not doing a good job so far is he? Save us from what, I'd like to know. Ourselves? Now, that would be clever.

Or, did the driver of the red car, who pulled out, not using indicators, doing at least 100 mph on a wet road believe Jesus was going to protect him from being mangled to a pulp on the motorway and arrange for all us athiests to join the "motorway pile up club" as punishment. Yes, he probably did, what a sobering thought.

Steven Hawking has been quoted that he thinks there is a higher power. Personally I think he lost the plot in his 25 mile long equation and without an answer, used it as an excuse. Or did he just run out of blackboard to write on.

In the words of Monty Python "Pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'cause there's bugger all down here".

After 9 hours driving in horrendous weather, I arrived at my destination. A town, surrounded by other towns, supermarkets, out of town shopping centres. All stretching endlessly into the distance with the odd green patch thrown in. The asphalt jungle. Twenty Four hours a day noise, engines, people, police sirens, jet aircraft, the police helicopter, car horns, lorry horns, brakes squealing, not to mention the quality of the air, need I go on?

Two days later, after a pleasant visit with my family, I scuttled back to my house in the North West Highlands to listen to the sparrows fart.

Kats