I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the shock, pain, and confusion we are all experiencing in the wake of the Boston bombings and following so soon after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Sometimes ‘A Slice of Life’ is bitter, and these are certainly such occasions.
One of the great advantages to living in an Active Adult Community is the opportunity to come together in the wake of a personal or national tragedy and find comfort and solace.
Whether it’s a gathering of guys working out early in the morning at the Lodge’s fitness center or the Tuesday ladies who play Mah Jong and do lunch, adult communities can be havens for healing. Of course, hot coffee, fresh donuts, and a great cheese-fries-and-chocolate-cake lunch at Portillos doesn’t hurt either.
Several friends are struggling with the question of why it seems the world has changed, and not for the better. One friend works in a customer service position for an institution that lends money and another friend is employed by an institution that lends books.
Of course, I cannot actually name these employers, as there’s that pesky libel thing, but I bet you can guess where these ladies work.
These friends have asked me to write a column about manners or the lack of them as it were. I’m flattered that anyone would think I was an authority on any subject and would think I was qualified to write about it. I believe, however, that I witnessed something (at Skippy’s, of all places) this week that just might qualify me as such an “expert.”
Three men were dining on burgers and fries when a young woman entered the restaurant. The four persons were wearing badges around their necks, so it was obvious they must have all worked for the same company. In unison, all three men stood as the woman approached the table.
One gentleman pulled the chair out, seated the woman, and then all three men sat down. Everyone in the restaurant was watching this scenario play out and diners over 50 years of age had visible tears in their eyes.
I was sobbing, as just this small gesture restored my faith in mankind. I knew instinctually that somewhere in the world, maybe even in South Elgin, there was a mother, a grandmother, or a wife who got it right. Her son, grandson, or husband was paying it forward that day.
Gandhi said, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change toward him. We need not wait to see what others do.” In other words, be the change you want to see in the world.
I share these words with you in the hope that you also find them as empowering as I do.
We can’t change the greater global world, but we can change our small, little square of planet earth by treating each other well, by making every guest in our community feel welcomed, and by treating one another as we would members of our own families. Let the change begin with us, here, today.
