4.20.08
This past Tuesday, Julius and I were in NYC to trade in the grand piano to an upright one b/c space is getting too tight sa condo. The piano store owner had some really good words to share with us about how fear is the root of all things opposite to good and founded on love. Por ejemplo, when we are greedy and jealous, that is because we fear losing what we think we own or have. (How we even got to such a conversation was just so natural…it just happened! But I don’t doubt that it was meant to happen because for the past few days fear was actually gripping me for many reasons. Having just finished a two-year divorce proceeding, the owner also had just gotten over an otherwise fearful ordeal as well.)
Then, lo and behold!, while on the F train headed back to the PATH, a middle aged white woman got on the train asking for candy from all passengers because she was diabetic. She was directly in front of Julius, holding on to the metal pole. As she asked, her face began twitching, slow at first then in more rapid successions seconds thereafter. Luckily, Julius and I had bought and brought with us a chocolate cake. Without any hesitation, Julius dug into the paper bag, took out the chocolate cake from its plastic container then scooped pieces of the cake using just his bare hands and fed it to the diabetic woman. All hurried-new-york eyes were on them, in shock at how the woman was, by this time, convulsing uncontrollably, the parameters of her mouth smeared with dark pieces of and icing from the chococake. Despite the attendant nynoise, you could only hear Julius’ hands pressing on to the plastic carrying the cake. Some random woman yelled out for the afflicted to get off the next stop and call 911. Of course, the next stop took forever and Julius knew there was no time, that she was going to go into shock.
As he fed her more of the chococake, other Samaritans offered the convulsing woman their seat. So Julius led her to the open seat then sat next to her. As she hurriedly swallowed down the chococake, she dug inside her pocket book for her meds in orange plastic containers. As she did this, the convulsions, which were most visible from her face, were visibly less and less in frequency. Julius also dug into her pocketbook, pulled out one of the orange containers, opened the cap and gave this woman her life saving pill. At that point, she had enough strength to open the can of Pepsi herself, which she had tucked away in her bag. Amazing how the little things we take for granted helped to save this woman’s life. As soon as she downed her meds, she kept on thanking Julius. She dug into her pocketbook again and motioned to pay Julius for his cake by passing a bill to him. Of course, Julius refused it. She insisted, pushing her hands against his closed palms.
Before she could push more, it was our stop and as she affirmed to Julius that she was going to be okay, we got off the train. As we were about to get off, a young girl, in her late teens asked if he was a nurse and since Julius was ahead of me, I turned to her and said, proudly, YES! Then one of her male peers passed to me a yellow napkin for Julius’ chocolatey hands.
The train door then closed behind us. The screeching noise of steel against steel was, for that split second, like that woman’s life, no longer just another noise.
Spring Sunday Welcome
Strolling thru lower mannahatta (old native american tribe who peopled nyc): flat iron, chelsea and meatpacking for set-up inspiration for our new office pohon. We visited paul smith’s store, anthropologie and other spots with choirmistress, JK, after our sunday services at St. Joe’s.
Warmer days have began to eek out altho it still gets cold as the sun sets.
Today’s sermon: For us to learn, no matter how disconcerting and disorienting it can be, to be flexible enough as to be able to deconstruct the stones that build our self-created structures and systems. Learn to challenge our own assumptions and set ways; be open to new schools of thought. (To also pray for Pope Benedict during his papal visit to NYC.)
