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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Father Terrence who wrote (29793)	2/1/1999 7:06:00 AM
From: nihil	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Terrence, I used to feel the way you do. I hated to be panhandled, especially on the steps of the Social Security headquarters where I worked. I particularly resented having to step over people lying in the sidewalk. Then I had a heart attack, and a by-pass and was in the hospital covered full of tubes and scars and instruments. I learned exactly how many friends I had -- only one. My classes and my colleagues did send flowers. One class must have got a real bargain arrangement -- it was filled with biting ants. One person not obligated visited me. A very poor young black man from Arkansas whom I had helped (for some reason -- perhaps racial guilt-- that escapes me) to get into our MBA program, despite his lousy GMAT scores, and enrollment in our despised rival HPU. He brought me books of Asian and African poetry -- he remembered that I like to quote in class -- he brought me candy. A bypass leaves a ghastly sliced up mess, and I hadn't been very pretty to begin with. But he spent a long time talking with me -- even trying to pray with me. Later, when I knew him better (my department hired an graduate assistant to help me with my classes during my accelerated recuperation and of course I hired him) I saw his wonderfully organized mind and generous heart. He spent some of his time helping homeless people. He became one of my saints -- holy people I know and admire. When I needed him, he was there and no one else -- who can blame them,-- I was bitter enough to be unpleasant when I was healthy, even bothered. Sometimes when one does something generous (like use his power to admit some underqualied student who you believe in for some unaccountable reason) he gains manifold repayment.