Tonight I got to see Bug for the first time in two weeks. I’ve gotten to see her fairly consistently on Wednesdays as the autumn’s progressed, and I was especially happy to see her tonight. It seems like such a long time ago that we were all alone on Wednesdays and teaching was still so daunting. Even with two full years of teaching behind me then, we each drew on the other’s experiences and devotion for inspiration.
We didn’t get to do our usual trip to Starbucks, but we did encounter a celebrity. When I see Hollywood actors in the city, I try to treat them like ordinary people, which means that I barely acknowledge their presence. I view this both as part of my attempt to be an authentic New Yorker and as a pragmatic response to dealing with all people as people. Bug does not take stance on things and instisted on shaking his hand. This initially seemed incredibly corny, and I told her so. But later, as I called my Mom and instructed her to tell my brother, who was an avid Val Kilmer fan in childhood, I realized that greeting people warmly and shaking their hand is not uncharacteristic of Bug. And it is this gracious welcoming spirit that makes Bug so charming, because “giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, nor does withholding enrich us.” It is I who must do a better job of treating all people with more consideration and care.
