He calls himself Charlie. G-d planted him in the subway car that I was in yesterday; He planted him about two feet away from me. I watched him, a smile forming in my mind and playing on my lips, as he talked to himself, muttered comments, and sang a little niggun with no care that people were watching. I looked around to see what other people were thinking and the look on their faces said with partial amusement and exasperation, "Another nameless crazy person with no where to go that we have to deal with after a hard days work," but I know better.
I know he has a name
I know that he lives in Crown Heights
I know that the Rebbe was very fond of him
I know that he makes people smile
I know that people that know him, love him
I know he was created in G-D's image
I know that he has a unique mission in life
I see a G-dly soul, who was put into a body and position in life that is not mainstream, trying to fulfill its mission and bring joy to the world.
But, all they see is a white man, with a unkempt white beard, big plastic rimmed glasses, wearing a pair of jean overalls with a white shirt underneath, his tzitzis flying in and out of his jeans, a large round yarmulka perched atop his head with an array of pins strategically placed around it and a slew of shopping bags filled with who knows what, muttering and singing to himself.
If they think he is crazy and I know better, then who's to say that people who look crazy to me actually matter to someone, and have a name and a place they call home.
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I ran into Charlie again today in my neighborhood, the upper west side. I saw him as I was walking home and I heard him say to someone happy Chanukah. Being that I was only a few feet away from him I called to him, "Freilichin Purim" to which he responded, "Purim is coming up, it is still the time of Chanukah."
I walked with Charlie down the street as he explained to me how he came up with that calculation, quoting the Rebbe. As he talked I was in my own head smiling to myself in amusement over his words thinking, "here he goes." I caught myself treating him without due dignity and gave myself a metaphorical splash of cold water on my face, saying, "Raizel, if you were thinking just yesterday that he is a person with a soul, someone to respect, then listen to what he has to say!" So I listened, even though I still didn't quite understand what he was saying.
He proceeded to inquire as to who I was, he asked me my name and where I was from. When I explained I was from Seattle, he said with excitement and another one of his big, warm smiles, "Oh! Welcome to New York, our playground," and when I told him what I was studying he said, "This city subsists on psychologists, your in the right place." He knows what he is talking about.
He went into shul to daven, and I continued home with a big smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. As I strolled down the street I couldn't help myself from smiling, and I thought, people probably are perceiving me as a little weird. Who smiles to themselves? A frown, a scowl or a sulking face, thats normal, but to smile to yourself while walking down the street, that is a warning bell.
Who is the crazy one now?
I know he has a name
I know that he lives in Crown Heights
I know that the Rebbe was very fond of him
I know that he makes people smile
I know that people that know him, love him
I know he was created in G-D's image
I know that he has a unique mission in life
I see a G-dly soul, who was put into a body and position in life that is not mainstream, trying to fulfill its mission and bring joy to the world.
But, all they see is a white man, with a unkempt white beard, big plastic rimmed glasses, wearing a pair of jean overalls with a white shirt underneath, his tzitzis flying in and out of his jeans, a large round yarmulka perched atop his head with an array of pins strategically placed around it and a slew of shopping bags filled with who knows what, muttering and singing to himself.
If they think he is crazy and I know better, then who's to say that people who look crazy to me actually matter to someone, and have a name and a place they call home.
------
I ran into Charlie again today in my neighborhood, the upper west side. I saw him as I was walking home and I heard him say to someone happy Chanukah. Being that I was only a few feet away from him I called to him, "Freilichin Purim" to which he responded, "Purim is coming up, it is still the time of Chanukah."
I walked with Charlie down the street as he explained to me how he came up with that calculation, quoting the Rebbe. As he talked I was in my own head smiling to myself in amusement over his words thinking, "here he goes." I caught myself treating him without due dignity and gave myself a metaphorical splash of cold water on my face, saying, "Raizel, if you were thinking just yesterday that he is a person with a soul, someone to respect, then listen to what he has to say!" So I listened, even though I still didn't quite understand what he was saying.
He proceeded to inquire as to who I was, he asked me my name and where I was from. When I explained I was from Seattle, he said with excitement and another one of his big, warm smiles, "Oh! Welcome to New York, our playground," and when I told him what I was studying he said, "This city subsists on psychologists, your in the right place." He knows what he is talking about.
He went into shul to daven, and I continued home with a big smile on my face and a warm feeling in my heart. As I strolled down the street I couldn't help myself from smiling, and I thought, people probably are perceiving me as a little weird. Who smiles to themselves? A frown, a scowl or a sulking face, thats normal, but to smile to yourself while walking down the street, that is a warning bell.
Who is the crazy one now?
6 comments:
What? You didn't understand? It's really simple: There are 64 days of Chanukah and 3 Sukkos weeks...
Great point. Great post.
Initially, it actually made sense to me, but then I came home and tried to explain it to someone, and I couldn't. So then I realized that I really didn't understand...=)
Wait, isn't that a contradiction with Charlie's 60 days of Purim???
Avi, please, an extensive explanation if you will... ;-)
Great outlook! Theres a lady in my community who actually has mental problems, not just a strange person who noone figures out. All the kids run away from her, but if you pay attention on Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and random Shabbosim that she shows up in shul, you notice taht she has a very high soul. She answers amen and cries and you can feel it piercing the heavens.
Someone else: It really is incredible, we perceive a certain person in one way and in reality they are completely different. It is more stark and apparent with people like Charlie or this woman, but it happens every day with "regular" people that we know or meet. It really teaches us to keep our eyes open and our judgments away when looking at people.
Nemo and Avi: You two figure out the calculations and get back to me. =)
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