The Trailing Edge

    Humans and animals have always talked to each other.  Lest you think this untrue, consider if a human were walking by a pig pen and were to say to a pig therein, hello , the pig would wag its piggly wiggly little tail and come running over.  If a pig were to grunt, hello at a human walking by his pen, the human would look over and keep walking by.  What is never clear is did the human not understand the pig or simply ignored the lower status pig. Humans are like that - ignoring lower status animals while courteous to higher status animals.  If a lion were to roar, hello to a passing human, you can be assured that the human would stop, look at the lion, and gently and as sweetly as possible say, nice lion . Humans are animals too.  We talk to each other, all too often, with not much worthwhile to say. If a rich human is passing by, the other huma...

True story. I am walking to my car and I notice a couple of Jewish fellows, twenty- somethings, with bouquets of what looks like bamboo or palm. I know they are Jewish for they look Hasidic. They are wearing long black jackets, wide brim black fedora hats, and have curly sideburns. In truth, I classify all Jewish who dress like this as Hasidic although they may identify themselves differently. They are standing near the corner canvassing passersby. One of the fellows looks me over and asks, “Are you Jewish?” I look Jewish? This is a revelation to me. People have called me good names and bad names but Jewish is a first. Maybe he senses my love of bagels? They do say, you are what you eat. "No," I say, "what is that you're holding?" He is kind enough to explain the bouquet. He says that they are plants - he names them - to symbolize scholars who study the Torah and those who don’t, and people who do good deeds and those who don’t. There is more a...