Monday, February 16, 2009

I'm Just Not Smart Enough...

This morning I ran down to the corner store to get some tobacco, and started talking to my friend that runs the place.

He started asking me if the banks were closed today. I told him yes, they were closed for the holiday. When he asked, I told him "Presidents Day". Then he asked about the post office...!

You know what? No matter how hard I tried to explain it to him, I found that whatever I started to say even sounded silly to me! I mean, here is a guy that is a naturalized citizen, trying to follow all the rules and laws of his adopted home, and he wants to show all his customers that he is enough of a patriot to want to do the acceptable thing by honoring past presidents.

But his customers want him to be open when they are off! His customers want him to be open early enough so they can stop by on the way to work, stay open late enough at night so that they can run down and pick up something they forgot to get at the grocery store, and most importantly, they want him to be open on ALL holidays, just in case they need something and the grocery store is closed!

You know how many days a year this particular store is closed? 2! That's right, he is only closed 2 days a year! One of them is Christmas! That's right, my friend, Here is a man, not born in this country, following a different religion than most of us, and yet he is respectful enough of our practices and our religion and our GOD...he celebrates His birth! A lot of "True Americans" won't even go to church on Christmas...much less on Sunday!

By the way, the other day that the store is closed? Believe it or not, it's the 4TH of July...Independence Day! Imagine...actually having the nerve to close on a day when so many of his customers are off work and need a fresh supply of beer, or picnic supplies, OR whatever!

Imagine someone taking the time to reflect on a day we chose to remember the most important day in our history! All because he knows that he wouldn't have the opportunities he has now, if that particular action had not been taken by our fore fathers!

As I kept trying to explain about the workings of holidays and why they are changed so often, and why we don't have parades and more public celebrations on days that should be of import to us...I found myself lacking! Very sad when I could not even explain to someone why we celebrate certain holidays in the manner that we do, when in all honesty, I just don't know!

Sure he charges more than the grocery store does...so what? If folks had been getting extra supplies like they should, they wouldn't have to pay more! Someone has to be open for us to satisfy our lack of planning, our lack of respect for important days in our history.

This man, and many more just like him, have done me a great service without even knowing it. He has taught me that I do NOT know what I should about how our government is supposed to work. I cannot explain the most fundamental things in an understandable fashion to a person who, by choice, came here from his homeland, learned to speak a second language, started a business to service the needs of his neighbors (knowing it's the most dangerous job in the United States) and ask all the right questions about laws, and holidays, and religion, and politics...why? Because he wants to understand! He really wants to know! He wants to make sure that he is well versed enough in these things to go home after a 14 hour work day, sit down with his kids, and explain it to them in a fashion that they will understand. Just so they don't ever have to ask some poor smuck like me to explain it!

This man has all my respect! I feel really bad, because he is asking all the right questions, and I can't give him the right answers...I'm just not smart enough!

Now, what do you say to a fresh cup of coffee...I need some to wash down that big dish of humble pie I just had!

13 comments:

Grandpa Eddie said...

I'll have a cup of joe with ya, Jim, 'cause I'm in the same boat with ya. I wouldn't be able to explain all the workings of the gov't to someone new to the country either. Oh sure, I could give them the basics, but that's about it.

I think part of the problem is that the gov't has made so many things so damn complicated. That and I don't remember half the stuff I learned in grammar school.

Hell, I think most of those who have taken citizenship classes know more about the way things work then we do.

Anonymous said...

When I was a child many things were closed. Today everything is open. I remember the Grandparents and parents buying stuff a couple of days before because they would be closed.

Grandpa Eddie said...

Ya know what, Jim?
This guy deserves 2 medals...one for tryin' so hard and the other for PUTTIN' UP WITH US!

HermitJim said...

Hey Eddie...you know, it takes a special kind of person to totally uproot his family and start again in a different country where they are often treated like second class citizens. I feel a LOT different about certain things since I started talking to this guy. I found that I was bigoted in ways that I did not see, and am working to get over it now.

Like I said...humble pie for me! Thanks for coming by!


Hey Jennersen...several years ago, Texas had what was called "Blue Laws" where stores were forced to be closed on Sunday...it was relaxed after a while to only being closed half a day. Finally, due to public pressure...Blue Laws became a thing of the past!

Thanks for coming by!

Anonymous said...

Nothing open on Sundays,all closed on Holiday's, gas stations closed at 6pm, stores at 9pm. God I am old.

Greed changed it all.

Had a lot of fun racing bicycles on those closed parking lots.

Grandpa Eddie said...

...no truck traffic, either.

HermitJim said...

Hey Tony...older just means better, right? At least, I hope so...

You got that right, about Greed changing it all...and about those empty parking lots being put to good use!

Like Granpa Eddie just said...no truck traffic!

Catman said...

I was once reprimanded for telling a salesman, "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

If you didn't have it, you borrowed it from your neighbor and replaced it the next day or just did without for the night.

I grew up in a town where the only three places open after 8pm (grocery store closed at 8) were the Denny's out on the highway, the bar, and the pool hall.

Everyone flew the flag on the appropriate days. If you forgot, your neighbor came and reminded you. You could tell where the vets lived. Their flags were always flown, out at dawn-in at sunset or illuminated all night. And never left out in the rain.

I miss that America.

HermitJim said...

I hear ya , my brother! Once the neighborhood association and the city of Houston tried to give a Vet a ticket and force him to change his ways. It seemed that some jerk decided that this man flew too many flags in and around his own yard!

A local tv station got hold of the story and sent a crew out to talk to the man...and he basically told them about the proper ways to display the flag, how to care for it, the story behind the colors, and finally, with tears in his eyes and a hand over his heart he pointed to the flag and said" I will always love and defend that flag, in my yard o0r on the battlefield! It is the most precious thing in my life, next to my family...and if you dishonor that flag, you dishonor your country and the people who served to keep us all free! God Bless America..." and then turned and walked off.

No ticket was issued, and the flags remained as they were!

Cygnus MacLlyr said...

Definitely hits home... Bet he and his children can name the ten amendments to the constitution.

America, care to give it an honest go??? You can only cheat yourself...

Good dose of that there pie with my cuppa, Uncle...

Sarah said...

I always love me a piece of humble pie ;)

Noki said...

I blame the public school system. Of course, I generally blame the public school system, but this time I might actually be right.

HermitJim said...

Hey Sarah...I sure do appreciate you dropping by and I also want to thank you for giving me the award! Pretty cool!


Hey Ashley...probably if they taught REAL history in school, things would be different!

Thanks for dropping by!