I am so pleased that Chantel seems to like Ishmael as much as I do. She suggested that she could meditate on each page for hours (as I once did) – and treat it like one might treat a Bible – or any other “holy” book for that matter.
And I can use all-the-support-I-can-get these days — as my teenage boys are hating on me (they really dislike the concept of rules and structure). But whereas my own flesh-and-blood doesn’t want to give-me-the-time-of-day; my bad boyz (those juvenile incarcerees I teach by day) are becoming chess masters! Now I am not the best chess player out there – but I play a pretty decent game. And once-upon-a-time, no one (except my father) — could beat me more than once…well, I have been beaten a-couple-times by folks in the past – but I always managed to-even-the-score!
But these young gang bangers are becoming exceedingly tough opponents. Juan P. beat me four times in a row – and then added a fifth (to only one victory for me, and, 3 stalemates). Edward H. – after dropping one game to me – laid on a vicious “whooping” (not to be confused with a Hoo bang)! And Tim A. – after dropping his initial game to me – has got me three-times- in-a-row! Even Andres M. can boast being 2-and-2 against me. What’s the world coming to?! The president of the U.S. is mulatto; the best golfer is also a mix; and, the best rapper is white (though I’m not sure that Eminem is the best any more). And my little gangster are becoming chess masters.
Which leads me to the title of this particular essay: “What’s the world coming to?”
Just the other day, I pulled over to the side of the road – and pulled into a parking spot with a meter. But since I was talking to Friend Carlos, I simply stayed in my car chatting with him. Not long after I parked – a parking enforcement officer pulled up behind me, got out of his car, and proceeded to begin writing a parking ticket on my vehicle. I got out of my car and said “Excuse me!” The fellow of Asian persuasion writing a ticket on my car kept writing – acting like he hadn’t heard me. I said, “Dude! I’m sitting in my car!!” To which he replied: “The meter’s empty – you need to have money in the meter if you want to park here.” “Dude!” I replied – “How can I put money in the meter if I haven’t even got out of my car yet?! I just pulled over to talk on the phone!! Are you kidding me?!!” To which the fellow of Asian persuasion replied: “OK! OK! Calm down!” I retorted, “How can I calm down if someone is trying to give me a parking ticket when I’m STILL IN THE CAR?!”
What is this world coming to? It’s like trying to prove that you are alive when-the-powers-that- be tell you you’re dead.
I was just happy that Habib apprehended Ishmael in the same vein that I did. I told Habib that he reminded me of the Dalai Lama – he liked that comparison. It’s nice when we homo sapiens support each other…