Assumptions
Or: moments that have moved me in some strange ways - 1:
Walking up to a short Jewish man dialing a number outside a restaurant and the first thought I have is a somewhat snide mental remark where I’m advising this guy to go back into the restaurant and for once enjoy your meal man.
As I pass him, he says to whoever is on the other side of the call: I have never missed a meeting in 14 years. I must apologize. I had a sabbatical, I am sorry.
Whoa. What was that. Not only did I feel absolutely stupid thinking everyone interrupting their dinner to take a call is being disrespectful to their company and their food, I also felt equally stupid upon realizing how quickly I’d placed this guy into a stereotyped box. Too important to wait till after dinner? Must be some snobbish banker-type always talking about how ‘busy’ he is. Nope. Just someone who missed a meeting for the first time in 14 YEARS(!!) because of a completely valid religious observance and yet STILL humble enough to apologize. Always something to learn.
I don’t remember the last time I did something religiously, without skipping a beat, for even a quarter of that length of time. Sigh.