Admittedly, I have been spending too much time at the neighborhood McDonald's. It is perhaps a betrayal of a commitment to slow food, healthy eating, and localism, but it's right there, and I don't have to cross any major streets to get there.
Anyway, I often see the same man at the neighborhood McDonald's. I'll call him Gabe. He's one of those guys that could be anywhere from 50 to 80, and I can't tell. When I first met him, he seemed solicitous for my well-being. He asked me if I wanted a refill on my drink, and I did not, because even I don't think 32 ounces of Coke should be upgraded to 64. We started talking about kindness--ironically enough--and we both decided that we thought there wasn't enough of it in the world.
I decided that Gabe must've been a leader of men at some point, like a coach or in the military. Still sharp, and perfectly able to tell people what to do, if the need should arise. I thanked him for his kindness, and we went on our way.
Sometimes I'll see him, but I don't want to bother him, especially when he's talking to someone else. Men who have reached a certain age have an instinctive desire to tell other men what they would do differently, if anyone happened to care what they thought. I don't blame Gabe for this, because I already do this, and I'm not that old.
Hopefully no one thinks, "Move along old-timer; the world is different now." I don't want the world to be different. I think I see it in a similar way to the way Gabe sees it. It's not a fearful thing exactly, to watch it changing; it's more sad than fearful.
Yes, I do feel sad for those who can't imagine the world as it ought to be. I feel sad for those who have a stronger desire to change something about themselves, or even the way they describe themselves, rather than live in correspondence with reality. Those who refuse to play silly word games are bound to seem pretty pathetic, even if they are right. We do still face a lot of social pressure to deny things that are apparent to our senses. What would you do, if you were the only person willing to speak the truth in a situation, when everyone else is more comfortable with lies?
In a sense, these considerations have nothing to do with my conversation with Gabe. It was just an ordinary conversation between two guys. But maybe the truth has to be uncovered step-by-step. And the path to true peace begins with just a little kindness.
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