FEBRUARY 6 • 2020 | 5
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for openers
Finding The Good
letters
I
often reserve this space for a lightheart-
ed look at some aspect of life. But the
tragic helicopter accident that killed
Kobe Bryant, his daugher and seven others,
impeachment trial and a deadly virus are
just some of the recent stories impeding my
ability to find the humor in
just about anything.
Throw into the mix the
three funerals I’
ve attended in
the last three weeks and there
I was, sitting with my laptop
in a booth at Panera Bread, a
blank slate void of anything
remotely gratifying to write
about. Oh, woe is me. But then …
My pity party was interrupted by a spir-
ited conversation I overheard from an adja-
cent table that included — upon meeting
them later — a psychologist, a police officer
and several of their breakfast buddies.
It was an eclectic demographic group
of white, black, middle-aged and senior
citizens. I would learn later they gather
Monday through Thursday mornings for an
informal meeting of the minds. A roundta-
ble discussion, if you will, made up of two
little tables pushed together.
The group was discussing the current
state of (gulp) American politics. But it
wasn’
t what they were talking about that
intrigued me; it was how they were talking
about it. Opposing points of view weren’
t
being argued but respectfully discussed.
A woman who overheard the topic
stopped to engage the gentlemen on her
way out, sharing her opinion in a friendly
tone. I stared and listened. These folks were
actually … communicating!
At that moment, one of the guys caught
me observing their forum and with a
chuckle said: “Oh, oh, better watch out; I
think that guy over there wants to join the
discussion!” Well, I kinda did.
I sauntered over to the group and was
immediately asked what I did. I told them
I’
m a writer who once enjoyed penning
equal-opportunity political humor but,
because of the divisiveness in our country,
I was avoiding the topic as if it were the
coronavirus.
I joined the conversation but didn’
t go
so far as taking a side. Wait, what? How,
in this seemingly irretrievable polarizing
atmosphere we live in, could I possibly have
avoided taking a position? It’
s not that I
didn’
t have one, but at that moment I didn’
t
want to.
On this day, I was just happy to witness
people with opposing points of view push
two tables together and reasonably discuss
them like real people, not politicians. And
from what I can tell, all the participants will
reunite tomorrow morning at the same two
tables to discuss something entirely differ-
ent. I intend to find out.
It turns out on this particular day, this
Panera location had a second act in store
for helping rehabilitate my faith in humani-
ty. Two hours later, I was back in line order-
ing lunch, a very long line. I commented to
the woman in front of me that I was going
to bail out because I was on a tight sched-
ule. Without missing a beat, she not only
invited me to move ahead of her in line but
also offered to hold my place while I went
to save a table for myself.
I mean, really?
I thanked her profusely but couldn’
t
in good conscious improve my standing
over the several people lined up behind
me. Instead, I exhibited some new found
patience, kept my place in line and had a
lovely chat with her until both of us ended
up at side-by-side registers … at which
point I clandestinely slipped my credit card
into her register’
s machine and paid for her
carryout.
I wanted her to know how much her
selfless act meant to me. Her random act of
kindness led to mine. See how that works?
The cherry on top? She was so taken by
my gesture that she informed me she was
heading to her Bible study, where she would
include me in her prayers. The woman
operating the register followed suit and pro-
claimed she, too, would say a prayer for me.
How do you like that? Who knew that
when I ordered my Panera Baja Bowl with
chicken that I would end up with two free
sides of prayers? I left full and fulfilled.
Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting talent,
speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwith-
bigal.com,“Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at
amuskovitz@renmedia.us.
continued on page 6
Alan
Muskovitz
What’
s Our First Priority?
If the clergy who went to the Mexican
border (“Remember the Stranger,” Jan.16,
page 15) had been in California and
merely turned around, they would have
seen a different human crisis. There,
more than 130,000 people are homeless.
In Los Angeles County, about 59,000
(the population of Royal Oak) live on the
streets. Lacking toilets, many defecate on
the sidewalk. (City workers then wash it
into storm sewers, so it flows untreated to
the ocean, killing fish and other aquatic
life.) That, along with the garbage creat-
ed, has led to rat infestation, and people
passing through have contracted typhoid
while walking to work. Now doctors warn
about the bubonic plague returning.
Yet, California’
s government does not
act to solve this crisis, due primarily
to drug addiction and treatable mental
illness. Instead, it plans to spend tens
of millions more annually on welfare
benefits for persons there illegally. But
doesn’
t Torah tell us our first priority
is to help our needy fellow citizens?
(Devarim 15:7-11)
More benefits for the undocumented
will, of course, draw more of them north
with transit purchased from the cartels
— criminal organizations that make mil-
lions from human and drug trafficking
and which sow chaos in Central America.
Cutting the cartels of income by strength-
ening the border would improve lives for
people on both sides. Why isn’
t that being
done?
— Kerry Greenhut
West Bloomfield