OCT. 22 ‘25 // that?” “I can see! But you – you are blind!” I couldn’t help myself. I turned around fully. Big mistake. Eyes shooting sparks at each other, fingers jabbing the air, was not a pretty sight. I shrank into myself. (My kind and giving nature is also a bit timid.) The voices rose a notch. “I am blind? Don’t you see that you are blinded to basic common sense?” It was a shot in the dark that reached its mark. “Common sense is uncommon.” By now, the voices had turned horse. The horse had been let out of the stable and was galloping towards a particularly steep cliff. Beyond that cliff lay a chasm so deep, it was frightening to contemplate. The chasm of hate. Presently the argument died down, and a loaded silence prevailed. Whew. Words are silver, silence is gold. It was good to catch that gold at the end of the harrowing journey. Quietly we traveled on for another ten minutes, until it was time to get off. As I rose from my seat, I risked another peek. Angry sullen faces looked back at me. A picture is worth a thousand words. This was all my fault – wasn’t it? (My kind giving timid nature wants to make everyone happy.) Feeling vaguely guilty, I disembarked. Friends, c a n we stay that way? Friends. I’ll treat you with love and respect. You’ll do likewise. (of course.) Traffic goes two ways. Love we know. Respect? A bit more difficult. Is it possible that respect should be more than skin-deep? Beyond gestures, smiles, and politeness, though that too is important. Is it logical to assume that respecting another person also includes appreciating their point of view, even if it is different than your way of thinking? Would you say that resenting a person because his features do not resemble yours is narrow- minded and bigoted? Well, being angry at a friend for having an opposing opinion should elicit the same reaction. It makes no sense to hate another for thinking differently, just like there is no justification to dislike someone who doesn’t look like you. The world Hashem has created is full of vibrant colors. Striking flowers, green grass, blue skies, white clouds and clear shimmering lakes. Obviously it was meant to be that way. A colorful world is interesting, rejuvenating and refreshing. Think for a moment. How would a colorless, black and grey world look like? Your gray matter would not be too activated by it. They’re sayin’ it. Aron was born with an interesting disability. At first glance he was completely healthy. His deep, dark eyes looked right at you, with that wise look tiny babies seem to have. He charmed everyone in the hospital, and when he came home, continued to endear himself to all who cared for him. As time went on and Aron passed toddlerhood his mother noticed something odd. Old enough to recognize colors, Aron nevertheless referred to all reds as green. His little “gween” car was red, and he couldn’t differentiate between his green pants and red hoodie. His mother thought it was a “baby thing” and was amuse rather than worried. She nevertheless mentioned it to the doctor at Aron’s next well visit. The doctor smiled when he heard her question. “Aron is probably color blind.” He explained “Every eye has rods and cones. The cones react to colored light from the outside world and help people see in color. An eye with normal vision has 138
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