Dear Reader, John Fortier is a Korean War veteran, retired school teacher and peace activist who has held a peace vigil virtually every Friday since President Bush ordered the invasion and occupation of Iraq in March, 2003. In this informal email, he comments about the generosity of a poor maid.
Hi Dick ~
Well, this latest Friday evening protest on the corner was an interesting case of history repeating itself.
Several months of Fridays ago an Hispanic lady 'forced' a dollar on me. We don't know each other's names, and our verbal exchanges never rose to the level of conversation because her English was as good as my Spanish - almost completely lacking. She did seem interested in knowing if, when or how long ago a bus went by.
I tried to convince her I didn't know with any certainty what she was talking about but that 'pretty soon' a bus was bound to pass by. That must have been satisfactory because she arrived and went through essentially the same routine almost every Friday.
Then one evening, after our usual bus talk, she surreptitiously passed me a rolled/crumpled up dollar bill. "No. no, no thank you. Por favor no!" At least I think I said that. She was a lot more eloquent and said, I'm sure, something about it not being much but a little help. After a lengthy volley of yes's and no's, she won. That dollar bill is affixed to my refrigerator by magnet, and it's not coming down until I find a very special purpose for it.
Sitting on a corner at a busy intersection is what you make it. During summer I'm out there for two hours; during winter it's an hour and a half. It's not the temperature but the light that suggests the hours. If people acknowledge my sign and presence there, I want to show my appreciation by acknowledging them in return. When it's too dark to see the drivers, I leave.
So, over time, patterns develop. Certain people appear at about the same time each night. Some are very enthusiastic in showing their support. Some just blink their lights and smile. Some blow their horn. Some flash a V sign, or a thumbs-up, or a fist pump. It's all good. And then there is the foot traffic. That's very interesting, even those people who refuse to 'notice' me, though they almost have to step over my feet to pass by on the sidewalk, contribute to the interest. Sometimes I can [unfinished sentence]
Hi Dick ~
Well, this latest Friday evening protest on the corner was an interesting case of history repeating itself.
Several months of Fridays ago an Hispanic lady 'forced' a dollar on me. We don't know each other's names, and our verbal exchanges never rose to the level of conversation because her English was as good as my Spanish - almost completely lacking. She did seem interested in knowing if, when or how long ago a bus went by.
I tried to convince her I didn't know with any certainty what she was talking about but that 'pretty soon' a bus was bound to pass by. That must have been satisfactory because she arrived and went through essentially the same routine almost every Friday.
Then one evening, after our usual bus talk, she surreptitiously passed me a rolled/crumpled up dollar bill. "No. no, no thank you. Por favor no!" At least I think I said that. She was a lot more eloquent and said, I'm sure, something about it not being much but a little help. After a lengthy volley of yes's and no's, she won. That dollar bill is affixed to my refrigerator by magnet, and it's not coming down until I find a very special purpose for it.
Sitting on a corner at a busy intersection is what you make it. During summer I'm out there for two hours; during winter it's an hour and a half. It's not the temperature but the light that suggests the hours. If people acknowledge my sign and presence there, I want to show my appreciation by acknowledging them in return. When it's too dark to see the drivers, I leave.
So, over time, patterns develop. Certain people appear at about the same time each night. Some are very enthusiastic in showing their support. Some just blink their lights and smile. Some blow their horn. Some flash a V sign, or a thumbs-up, or a fist pump. It's all good. And then there is the foot traffic. That's very interesting, even those people who refuse to 'notice' me, though they almost have to step over my feet to pass by on the sidewalk, contribute to the interest. Sometimes I can [unfinished sentence]
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